by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — When Erv Miller attended last year’s Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale, naturally he was concentrating on acquiring some yearlings from Swan For All’s first crop as he had conditioned the 2009 Matron Stakes victor.

After inspecting all the progeny of that stallion the sale had to offer, one of Miller’s selections was hip No. 149. The filly was then called Deal For All, but her new owners decided to rename her Andi’s Alana and in her first year of racing she was a dual Indiana Sire Stakes champion as well as her sire’s top performer to date.

“She fit the bill,” Miller said. “We were looking at some colts too, but they seemed to be a bit growthy and I think I have some that will be very good next year. This filly was exactly what we were looking for with her breeding and conformation.”

Linscott Photography

Andi’s Alana won eight times as a freshman, with earnings of $325,162.

Harvey Eisman, Greg Gillis and Paymaq Racing plunked down $20,000 for the daughter of the Yankee Glide mare Its Your Deal. Andi’s Alana happens to be the fifth foal out of her dam and is a half-sister to Amazing Dealer (Armbro Nash, 3,1:56.1s, $298,162). The filly sports a record of 12-8-2-1, a mark of 1:56.4s and a bankroll of $325,162.

She commenced her career with a five race winning streak before finishing second on August 28 at Hoosier Park in a $30,000 Indiana Sire Stakes leg.

“When we first started her out she didn’t exactly stand out right away,” Miller said. “But the thing we really liked about her was she always wanted to trot and pass horses. She started out just like that and continued that way once we started racing her.”

The filly used two freshman races on June 20 and 27 at Pocono Downs to educate herself for her profession when she finished third and second, respectively. She learned her lessons well as she captured her first five pari-mutuel miles at Hoosier Park, including the $108,050 Kentuckiana Stallion Management over the very nice Jimmy Takter filly Scream And Shout. Andi’s Alana established her mark, which was also a new track record, in that contest.

In her next engagement, however, the filly was just outfinished by her colleague Huntingforpennies and hit the wire second, but swiftly returned to her winning ways with a 1:57.1 triumph in the $200,000 Indiana Sire Stakes final on Sept. 11 at Hoosier Park after leaving from the 10 hole.

She picked up another victory on Sept. 20 in a $30,000 Sire Stakes race before her only off the board finish, a fourth, on Oct. 4 over the same oval and under the same conditions.

“That’s the only time she’s made a break (that was in the stretch) and it was only because she was a little too wound up,” said Miller, who is currently North America’s sixth leading trainer in victories (242) and fifth in purse money won ($4.57 million).

“LeWayne (Miller, her regular driver) had been racing her on the front to keep her out of trouble in case some stopped in front of her or she was blocked in and we found out it got her a little too excited, so for her next race he didn’t drive her like that and she was just fine.”

Miller is referring to Andi’s Alana’s third place finish in another $30,000 Sire Stakes race on Oct. 12. She was in sixth place at the top of the lane, but trotted home fastest of all with a :27.2 final quarter to take the show spot.

The filly returned to her winning ways on Oct. 19 when she won the second $200,000 Sire Stakes final as the co-favorite and then finished her season with a second in a $42,550 Madison County Stake division. Andi’s Alana was a bit slow off the gate and got away seventh in the 10 horse field, but once again she trotted home the fastest of her opponents with a :28.3 final panel.

“That is the thing about her,” Miller said. “She always puts her best foot forward and keeps on trotting. That is not something you can teach and is probably her best asset. Also, she is good on the front or from farther back, as she always keeps on trotting right to the wire and is coming right to the end.”

Andi’s Alana is currently taking her winter vacation, but when she returns to work her sophomore campaign will most likely mirror the same schedule she followed this year.

“We will keep her mostly in the Midwest,” Miller said. “She will stay in the Sire Stakes like this year, but we might nominate her to races like the American-National or maybe something else that is not too far away from Indiana.”