by Rich Fisher, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Rich Fisher

Trenton, NJ — Trainer Del S. Miller can’t quite recall exactly when owner Bill Donovan approached him about handling Thistle Dhu, but he does know life has gotten better with ‘Dhu’ doing her thing.

Thistle Dhu races Saturday in the first of two Breeders Crown eliminations for 3-year-old filly trotters at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The top four finishers from each $25,000 elim plus the fifth-place finisher with the highest seasonal earnings advance to the $500,000 final on Oct. 19 at Pocono Downs.

A daughter of stallion Donato Hanover out of the mare Yankee Topaz, Thistle Dhu has won six of 13 races this year and earned $114,017 this season.

“I just feel she will be competitive,” Miller said. “That’s all you can ask for.”

What makes it an exceptional Saturday for Del is that this is the first starter he has ever gotten to the Breeders Crown.

Chris Gooden photo

Thistle Dhu (#2) was a nose winner over Gliding To Glory in her most recent start, a Keystone Classic split on Sept. 30 at The Meadows.

“It’s very, very special,” he said. “I mean, I always wanted to be in the top races everywhere. I never had the horse power, and then I got this Thistle Dhu. She’s good right now and her confidence is up and all the connections say we should give her a try.”

The Ohio-based Miller, who has won 2,216 lifetime races as a driver and has picked up 48 wins this year as a trainer, has conditioned Thistle Dhu for her last five starts. The horse was put on Lasix by Miller and it has made a difference as she has won four straight entering Saturday.

“I feel that helped a lot,” Miller said. “She bled, not a lot, but a little, so that was enough for me to put her on some Lasix.”

One of the biggest changes that Miller made in the filly was to get her to relax.

“William Donovan said ‘If you could get her calmed down a little bit, I think she’s got some go and can go with the good ones,’” Miller said. “She just had to have her head on and not try to go every quarter in 27 (seconds).

“She was always wanting to drive the driver instead of letting the driver drive her. Once she got the control she was tough to shut down.”

Del put an open bridle on Thistle Dhu, which seemed to be a big help. The other key is that his son Brett, who drives most of Del’s horses, has been an integral part of the improvement.

“Brett’s been driving her and he’s done some kind of out-of-this-world job with her,” Del said. “It was just a good combination. I came over to The Meadows about 2-1/2 years ago and he’s driven my horses most of the time. Since I got more horses he stuck with them, and it makes all the difference in the world. We really work well together.

“Keeping the same driver on a trotter is huge and Brett’s stuck with her. It means a lot keeping the same driver on a trotter if at all possible.”

Thistle Dhu is a half-sister to Yursa Hanover, who was second by a nose to Honorable Daughter in the 2008 Breeders Crown for 2-year-old filly trotters and third in the 2010 Breeders Crown for mare trotters, behind Buck I St Pat and Autumn Escapade. She also is a half-sister to stakes-winners He’s Spooky and Scary Good. She was purchased for $60,000 under the name Yafa Hanover in the 2011 Lexington Selected Sale.

As for how Thistle Dhu likes to race, Del said it doesn’t really matter.

“She does likes to race out front and get up close in a race but you could go either way,” the trainer said. “I think you could duck her off the gate and race her. The way she seems right now, she is flexible to do either. It depends on what you’re in with, and this and that, and who’s inside of you.”

On Saturday, Thistle Dhu will face Kentucky Filly Futurity winner To Dream On, the 2-1 morning line favorite, and world champion Frau Blucher, who is 5-2.

Miller just can’t wait to be part of it.

“I’ve just been shocked I got a horse in there,” he said. “It’s an honor and a half.”

Below are the fields for the Breeders Crown eliminations for 3-year-old filly trotters (top four in each elim and fifth place with highest seasonal earnings advance).

Division One: 1. Royal Assets, Ray Schnittker, Ray Schnittker; 2. Bouncing Bax, Howard Parker, Jim Raymer; 3. Coffeecake Hanover, Matt Kakaley, Ron Burke; 4. Thistle Dhu, Brett Miller, Del S. Miller; 5. To Dream On, Jimmy Takter, Jimmy Takter; 6. Frau Blucher, Ron Pierce, Chris Oakes.

Division Two: 1. Southwind Cocoa, Tim Tetrick, Linda Toscano; 2. Shared Past, Yannick Gingras, Ron Burke; 3. Bee A Magician, Brian Sears, Nifty Norman; 4. Ma Chere Hall, Corey Callahan, Jonas Czernyson; 5. Time To Kill, John Campbell, Ross Croghan; 6. Handover Belle, Mike Lachance, Tony Alagna.