Sam Miller, Jim Larente and George Filion, a trio of “seventy-something” drivers, continued to turn back the clock with a series of impressive outings Wednesday night at Colonial Downs
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In his first race of the evening, 78-year-old Miller and six-year-old gelding Mac Atack Mac grabbed a pocket trip from the start behind filly Shes Got Credit. Miller and his gelding remained second throughout the three-quarter mark, then waited until the final stretch to surge past Shes Got Credit and win by 2-1/2 lengths in a time of 1:57.2.
In Miller’s second race, he followed the same technique with seven-year-old gelding Second Hand News, owned by wife Beatrice Miller of Dover, Delaware. Second Hand News remained a steady second behind Illusion Offreedom until closing in at the three-quarter mark. The seven-year-old Pathway To Victory gelding rolled past the front stepper in mid-stretch to finish first by a nose against fast closing Newyorkjoyants. Second Hand News finished in a time of 1:58.1.
Seventy-five-year-old driver/trainer Sam Miller remarkably has now earned two wins and two seconds in his first four starts of Colonial Downs’ fall harness season.
This meet so far has been one for the ages with fellow drivers Jim Larente, a 78-year-old pilot, who finished third on Screen Saver in the sixth, and 73-year-old reinsman George Filion, who won aboard Brians Joy in the evening’s eight race. Larente had been two-for-two heading into Wednesday’s action while Filion earned his first triumph of the young meet.