Lebanon, OH — Driver Brett Miller reached a pair of milestones on Tuesday afternoon (Feb. 11) at Miami Valley Raceway, winning for the 8,500th time since beginning his driving career in 1991 and also surpassing $90 million in purse earnings with the horses he has driven.

Brett Miller is congratulated by Miami Valley racing operations manager Helen Carlo and race secretary Gregg Keidel on achieving his 8,500th win and eclipsing $90 million in purse earnings on Tuesday afternoon.

The 46-year-old Miller, who returned to his native Ohio roots at the beginning of 2019 after a five-year stint as one of the top drivers on the East Coast, is enjoying another banner season in 2020. Following up on a 518-win campaign in his first year on the Miami Valley, Scioto Downs and Hollywood Dayton circuit, Brett has triumphed 51 times already this year. The cousin of Hall of Famer David Miller has exceeded $5 million in purse earnings in nine of the last 10 years.

Miller’s landmark score came in a conditioned claiming event behind Motor City Man, owned by Jeannette Conrad and trained by Greg Henderson. Three races later, Brett was back in the winner’s circle having guided Majestic Player A to victory in the featured $24,000 Open Handicap Trot.

Majestic Player A, making just his second United States start since being imported from Australia, scored a very impressive 1:53.2 tally, good for the quickest trotting mile of the current meet which began on Jan. 3.

It was the first time that Miller sat behind the 6-year-old gelded son of Majestic Son, and he was duly impressed. “He looked good on paper, but raced even better than it looked,” Miller smiled.  “I didn’t rush him out of the gate, but when I asked him for ‘go,’ he had plenty! The new owners have themselves a real nice horse.”

Majestic Player A strode to a powerful 1:53.2 win in Tuesday’s Open Trot at Miami Valley. Conrad Photo.

Those new owners are Jeffrey Fought, Brian Carsey and Casey Myers, who purchased him abroad after noticing his 15 victories out of 29 lifetime starts Down Under. Walter Haynes Jr. trains Majestic Player A, who surpassed $100,000 in earnings with this score.

Walter White (Jeremy Smith) set the early pace, hitting the first two stations in :28.1 and :57.2 before the winner took charge just prior to the 1:25.1 third quarter clocking.

In other Tuesday matinee action, three divisions of the second leg of the R. J. Brown trotting series decided the finalists for a $20,000 final tilt next week. Winners of the $12,000 splits were The Bombean (Tyler Smith, 1:59.3, $6.00), Mary Mag Delene (Hugh Beatty, 1:58, $6.40) and B Three Seven (Beatty, 1:57.2, $13.40).

Others who also qualified for the final are This Man Raps, Ms Toni, LaDolfina, Avalon, DC Mr Dominator and Stone Cold Blue. Pier Hanover and Docs Swan Song are also eligible should any of the top nine money winners in the series fail to enter the final.

A pair of final elimination heats in the Survivor Series for $5,000 claiming mares were also contested. Nice Trip (Jason Brewer) captured the first division in 1:54.2, with Allspeedallthetime (Miller) victorious in the other in 1:55.4.

Joining that pair in the $15,000 series final on Feb. 18 will be Rock The Baby, Over Speeding, Desires Lady, Jetstream Johnnie, Love Love Me Do, American Sweet Pea, Lucky Seven Oflodi and Endeavors Ladyluck.