‘Super’ Brett Miller has “owned” the inaugural Howard Beissinger Memorial Medley trotting series, winning all four preliminary heats over the first two weeks. His toughest decision in the series thus far has to be what horse to drive in the $25,000 championship final next Friday at a distance of 1-1/4 miles.
He won with both Deweyknowigotit and Double A Goldrush in the first leg, a pair of three-quarter-mile dashes for $12,500 purses to kick the new series off. Miller followed that up by winning both $17,500 divisions with the same two trotters on Friday (February 15) at the conventional distance of one mile.
Deweyknowigotit and Double A Goldrush ended up tied for the lead in series money earnings, the yardstick used to determine the nine finalists. The remainder of the field will be comprised of Rompaway Galaxy, Lets Go Bucks, Nothinbutanallstar, No Whip Chip, Rockinthepines, Cruzen Cassi and Hes Got Pizazz — if they all enter.
Both winners went gate-to-wire as favourites in the second leg. Deweyknowigotit topped Nothinbutanallstar (LeWayne Miller) and Rompaway Galaxy (Jason Thompson) in 1:56. The Derek Watiker trainee, owned by Watiker's father Lionel, paid $3.20. The son of Deweycheatumnhowe is now five-for-seven in 2019, good for almost $40,000 in earnings, following a forgettable 2018 season when he went 0-for-11 and earned just $3,960.
Double A Goldrush took a new lifetime mark of 1:54.2 in his split, beating Lets Go Bucks (Dan Noble) and No Whip Chip (Chris Page), who dead-heated for second. Ross Leonard trains the winner, who is approaching $200,000 in career earnings. The five-year-old gelding by Elegant Man is owned by Michael and Laura Lee in partnership with Terry Leonard.
A $25,000 Mares Open Handicap Pace was captured by Zoe Ellasen (Trace Tetrick) in 1:53. Feelin Red Hot (Page), the winner the previous two weeks, finished second after cutting the entire mile from an assigned outside post. Always About Farah (Sam Widger), making her initial start in the Open ranks, was a creditable third. Zoe Ellasen sat fourth through the opening :28 panel, then attacked first-over through middle fractions of :56.2 and 1:24. It was the first win of this season for the five-year-old Santanna Blue Chip lass, but the 19th triumph in an outstanding career that has already netted $340,000 in earnings. She is owned by Ron Steck in partnership with her trainer Tyler George.
Leading driver Trace Tetrick and second-place Brett Miller each fashioned “Grand Slams” on the Friday program, reaching the winner’s circle four times each.
Racing resumes Saturday night when a $24,000 Open I Pace and two divisions of the second leg of the Bill Dailey Memorial Medley for pacers will be featured. Post time is 6:05 p.m.
(Miami Valley Raceway)