There’s an old adage that states "you can’t keep a good man down," but in recent amateur racing history it could more accurately read "you can’t keep a good woman down." That maxim can easily be equated to Hannah Miller, the hottest driver in the amateur ranks today.
In the NAADA Trot at Yonkers Raceway on Friday night (June 16), the 25-year-old miss, affectionately known as ‘Hurricane Hannah,’ scored yet another victory when she guided Rev It Now to a gate-to-wire triumph over seven others in a 1:59.3 clocking. For the two-time National Amateur Driver of the Year, it marked her 10th driving victory this season, her 83rd in just 289 career starts and the first-ever race contested over the newly refurbished Westchester County (NY) double oval.
Taking advantage of starting from the pylon position, Miller sent her trotter to the lead as Alan Schwartz and Ladys Big Stormont found a position in behind Rev It Now as they rounded the first turn. They then raced one-two by the halfway point, where Joe Pennacchio was the first to move off the pylons with Zorgwijk Impact.
As the field headed up the backside, Pennacchio’s trotter circled Ladys Big Stormont and then ranged alongside Rev it Now as the leaders trotted by the third stanza in 1:30.1. Unfortunately for Pennacchio, Ms. Miller’s charge still had plenty in the tank as they headed for home.
In the stretch, Zorgwijk Impact faded and Ladys Big Stormont was fresh and Schwartz rallied his charge as they headed for paydirt. But Ladys Big Stormont ran out of racetrack and finished a head behind Rev It Now in second-place. Although tiring, Zorgwijk Impact held on for the show dough.
Reached via email after the race, trainer Nick Surick responded: "Hannah said 'Rev' was very sharp tonight and got off the gate good and had no intentions on letting anyone go.
"She won the first race with the new finish line and she thinks it will make racing more exciting for the Yonkers Raceway fans.”
Surick then added: “We just rushed over to The Meadowlands where Hannah is driving the favourite in the fifth race there tonight. Hopefully she can make it a driving double on both sides of the Hudson River.”
Ms. Miller also owns the veteran 11-year-old altered son of Revenue S who didn’t race last year. However, in his illustrious career, Rev It Now has now won 37 races and purses of nearly 280,000.
(NAADA)