Driver Brett Miller entered the Tuesday program at The Meadows needing five wins to accomplish a major milestone, and he came through with a six-win performance
on the 13-race card.
Miller started the day with 4,995 wins and finished with 5,001 – quite a feat for the Washington, Pennsylvania sulky-sitter who has piloted winners in excess of $28 million to date.
He was untouchable in Races 2 through 4, winning with Winning Mister (1:56.1), Hall Oak (1:57.2) and Foolish Attempt (1:56). An off-the-pace triumph in Race 6 behind Sure Duffy (1:54) put him just one win away from hitting his target.
The milestone score came in Race 11 with the Jim Arledge, Jr.-trained Upfront Hannahsboy (1:54.4), who turned in an impressive come-from-behind score for owner/breeder Ed Mullinax of Amherst, OH. Miller bumped his win total to 5,001 in the finale thanks to a front-stepping tally with Goddesss Justin (1:54.3).
“When I first started driving, I didn’t have a big stable to drive for,” said Miller. “The first two years of driving, I set a goal of winning 1,000 races lifetime. I really thought that would be special. So 5,000, I never really thought that would come.”
“Dad [Del S. Miller] would drive at different tracks in different states,” he added. “I went to eight different schools from kindergarten through high school because we moved so much. In high school, I thought about a career as a carpenter. I studied carpentry and actually was building houses while in high school. Then I started driving at matinees and fairs. Once I started to drive a few, there was no turning back.”
Miller enjoyed a career year in 2009 thanks to a single season purse haul that climbed close to $4.6 million. His previous best season was back in 2002 when he sat behind winners of purses in excess of $3.1 million.
(With quotes from The Meadows)