With his regular reinsman Andy Miller sidelined following yesterday's racing accident, world champion trotter Sevruga did his best to lift Team Miller's spirits on Wednesday afternoon, scoring his second straight win at Harrah's Philadelphia.
Trained by Andy's wife Julie and owned by KDM Stables Corp., Sevruga ($3) won his season's debut from post eight in 1:52.1 on April 2. The six-year-old SJs Caviar gelding overcame his assigned outside post once again in Wednesday's $30,000 Winners Over Handicap Trot for another victory.
Subbing in for Andy, Corey Callahan rolled the multiple-stakes winner to the lead, clearing to command past the :27.4 quarter pole. They continued to front the eight-horse field through middle splits of :56 and 1:26.1 en route to the one and a half length victory in 1:55.3. Fox Valley As and Baximum came on for second and third.
Last year, Sevruga banked close to half a million dollars with 18 top-three finishes in 22 starts. Among his accomplishments were victories in the Arthur J. Cutler and John Cashman Jr. Memorial. He also set a 1:50.3 all-age world record on a five-eighth-mile track in a Preferred event at Pocono Downs.
Sevruga recovered from bone chip surgery at the end of the year and is taking aim at another stakes campaign in 2014.
Meanwhile, Andy Miller is on the road to recovery following surgery of his own on Wednesday. He was involved in a racing accident on Tuesday at Yonkers Raceway during which he broke a pair of lumbar vertebrae in his back.
Horseman Nick Surick reported on Wednesday via Facebook that Andy underwent surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital.
"Andy is out of surgery and on his way to recovery!" wrote Surick. "He is in a lot of pain, but the doctor said it all went great and he should be out of bed by tomorrow in his brace. Andy and Julie [are] both really appreciative and cannot thank everyone enough for [their] concern."
Back on track, the Miller stable continued to put up wins during the evening at Pocono Downs as Take The Money and Perfect Alliance dominated Bobby Weiss Series action. Two $15,000 divisions of the Weiss were held for three and four-year-old trotting fillies and mares.
The Millers turned to Yannick Gingras to pilot the two mares. He delivered, as Take The Money (Donato Hanover-Repititions) coasted in her split to a win in a career-best 1:55.4 and Perfect Alliance (Credit Winner-Yalta Hanover) strolled to a victory in 1:54.4. The pair are now a combined 13-for-13 in 2014 starts, including three Weiss wins apiece heading into next week’s group final.
(With files from Pocono Downs)