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Sunday, April 26, 2015

HANNAH MILLER WINS NAADA TROT AT FREEHOLD

   By john manzi for NAADA

 Hannah Miller, the 23-year old miss who has been the scourge of the amateur ranks, added yet another  victory to her fledgling resume when she guided Rev It Now to a come from behind 2:01.4 triumph in the seventh leg of the North American Amateur Drivers Series held at Freehold Raceway on Saturday, April 25. And that accomplishment came on the heels of her win in the final event in the USA-French Friendship Competition the night before at the Meadowlands which vaulted the American team to victory over the French squad.

Like she has done in all of her races, the daughter of top trainer Erv Miller, again remained undaunted while competing against her male counterparts.

In Freehold’s third race on the betting card Hannah started slowly with her trotter and got away sixth at the first stanza, some 12 lengths behind  of the early speed duel between Blazing Delores (Jim Marshall IV) and Wygant Prince (Paul Minore). After the :28.3 first quarter Miller waited until the field headed for the halfway point before moving he trotter off the pylons.

Still sixth at the half, but now nine lengths behind Wygant Prince’s lead, Miller began to urge her trotter up the backside and at the three quarters the crowd could anticipate what was going to happen. On the final turn Rev It Now circled the leaders and took command in the homestretch and trotted away to a solid one-length victory over a fast closing 36-1 shot, Bellagio Hanover, driven by Steve Oldford. Wygant Prince held on for the show dough.

 The winner is owned by her driver, her dad Erv Miller, and her boyfriend, Nick Surick who is also the horse’s trainer. Rev It Now paid $5.80 for win.

With her victory Ms. Miller is tops in points in the NAADA trotting series. With just two legs remaining her 59 points is seven better than Alan Schwartz’s 52. Rounding out the top five are;Bob Hechkoff (40),Tony Verruso (35) and Paul Minore (22).

It’s just a shame that the mainstream media doesn’t pick up this story of a young woman defeating her male colleges in a sport completely dominated by men. Her triumph at Freehold was her seventh in 22 starts this season and the talented lady has been first or second twelve times driving along with a .460 average.