The Eash Racing Stable and driver LeWayne Miller teamed up for a night to remember on Saturday (March 12) at Miami Valley Raceway.
Not only did Astreos Love capture the $20,000 Open Pace for trainer Don Eash and Miller, but E R Rudy copped the $20,000 championship leg of a top conditioned late closing series, stablemate Undertaker triumphed in the $10,000 first leg of the George Williams Memorial late-closer for non-winners of four pari-mutuel races or $30,000 life, and E R Oliver capped off the ‘Grand Slam’ by winning a $10,000 conditioned race.
Astreos Love took full advantage of his first inside post position in six weeks and the scratch of his most serious threat (Mykindachip) to score in 1:50.4 over Nitro (Chris Page) and Fancy Creek Elusiv (Kayne Kauffman). The win was the fourth of the year for the six-year-old son of Make My Day, but the first since early February. As the 3-5 favourite, Astreos Love returned $3.20 to his backers. The winner has now banked $46,680 in seven seasonal starts, all at Miami Valley.
Although he didn’t win a preliminary leg of the late-closer, E R Rudy was sent postward as the third choice in the betting and Miller gave his supporters a picture-perfect drive to pull off the minor upset in 1:51.4. The five-year-old Arts Chip gelding sat chilly in the pocket throughout as second choice Major Blue Chip (Josh Sutton) cut the fractions and favourite Stonebridge Adam (Chris Page) pressured first-up on the outside. When a seam opened between the two preliminary leg winners, E R Rudy shot through for the impressive 7-2 score.
Undertaker gave the Eash-Miller combo their third triumph when he bested Gunny Wilson (Tyler Smith) and Goodtime Matt (Trace Tetrick) in 1:53.1 to stamp himself as the early favourite in the George Williams Memorial series. The four-year-old Rockin Image gelding now has 22 victories, all but four at Indiana county fairs.
Startin Something (John DeLong) was an upset winner in the other William division, paying $25 following his 1:54 tally. Brent Tartar owns the Johnson Hill Jr. trainee, who topped Artistic Blue (Ken Holliday) and American Paradise (Chris Page).
The icing on the Eash-Miller cake was E R Oliver’s victory in a $10,000 conditioned race in 1:53. The five-year-old son of Total Truth surpassed the $100,000 career earnings plateau with the winner’s share.
With the four wins, Don Eash climbed from a tie for 10th in the trainer’s standings to a tie for fifth-place. Miller, who has had much success in his first foray into Ohio, is now tied for ninth in the driver’s dash standings with 30 wins and over $300,000 in purse winnings.
(Miami Valley Raceway)