Driver Marcus Miller reached a major milestone on Thursday, Oct. 16 at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, notching his 5,000th career driving victory during a four-win performance on the 14-race program.
After winning the first race on the program with Tickertape Hanover ($5, 1:50.2), Miller reached the 10th race just one away from the milestone as he hopped in the bike behind the John Kay-trained Cowboy Cool. Leaving from post four, Cowboy Cool settled in the fourth position early while Salty Robyn N (Trace Tetrick) cut first-half fractions of :27.3 and :56.3. Miller wheeled the 4-1 Cowboy Cool first-over moving into the far turn, and the gelding pulled alongside the leader at three-quarters in 1:26. Cowboy Cool put away Salty Robyn N turning for home before facing one final challenge to his outside from Marshall Zhukov (Atlee Bender). Cowboy Cool held that rival at bay by a half-length to win in 1:54, and Miller raised five fingers in celebration at the wire.
Wins 5,001 and 5,002 for Miller came later in the program with bomber Er Bethany ($89.20, 1:56.3) in Race 12 and heavy favourite Gigis Dream ($2.60, 1:51.4) in the finale.
An Illinois native, the 36-year-old Miller has raced in many different jurisdictions throughout his career, but he recently returned to his Midwest roots and has called Hoosier Park home in 2025. Since making his debut in 2004, Miller has made it stick in every driving colony he has joined, with $3 million campaigns in 14 of the last 15 years in the sulky. Miller’s best year from an earnings perspective came in 2016, a season in which his steers earned $5.4 million and he notched a win in the Breeders Crown Two-Year-Old Filly Pace with Someomensomewhere for his father, Erv.
Marcus and Erv Miller are set to make the trek to Woodbine Mohawk Park this weekend in search of their second Breeders Crown win as a duo, teaming up with three-year-old filly pacer Unreasonable. She heads into her elimination fresh off a 1:47.4 score in the $334,722 Garnsey Memorial at The Red Mile with Marcus in the bike.
In 2025, Marcus Miller has already amassed 273 victories, his best year since 2022. Miller has been a force to be reckoned with in his first full-time season at Hoosier Park, currently sitting third in the drivers' standings with 202 wins. Only Trace Tetrick (291) and John De Long (227) are ahead of him.
Racing continues at Harrah’s Hoosier Park on Friday with a 14-race program featuring seven total divisions of the Pegasus Stakes for all four divisions of three-year-olds sprinkled throughout the card. On To Norway, in search of his 18th consecutive victory, will headline the Pegasus splits. The Friday program gets underway at a special late post time of 6:30 p.m. due to day two of the Midwest Standard Horse Sale taking place at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
(Hoosier Park)