Meadowlands: Miller duo looks to rebound in Valley Victory elims

It is no small feat to keep a 2-year-old trotter sharp from the start of the season until the end. Trainer Julie Miller is hopeful that attention to detail and monitoring the progress of her juveniles will pay off with two colts entered on Saturday night in separate $20,000 Valley Victory eliminations at The Meadowlands.

For Miller, Prospect Hill is likely to be the one horse that should attract the most attention. The son of Muscle Hill was a mainstay in the rough and tumble Pennsylvania Sire Stakes circuit this season, but over the last month or so has hit a few bumps in the road.

“Moving onto the Grand Circuit was a little tougher,” said Miller about the transition. “He didn’t race well the first week of the Red Mile and he scoped sick so we kept him out the second week.”

Prospect Hill was among the favorites in the Breeders Crown eliminations at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono entering the contest with seven wins in 10 starts on the season. Unfortunately he drew in with Gimpanzee in his elimination and managed only a decent fourth-place finish, putting him in the final.

“He got a bit worked up before the final,” said Miller, “And he just lost it. I don’t think he was going to beat Gimpanzee, but he could have gotten money.”

Still with nearly $200K made in his first year of racing, there’s solid reason to believe that Prospect Hill on his “A” game has as much talent as any of the 15 that were named to the event.

“He’s always been a good-feeling colt from the start,” said Miller of Prospect Hill, a $130,000 purchase at last year’s Harrisburg Sale.

With three weeks off after the Breeders Crown, Miller was more than satisfied with Prospect Hill’s recent training. “He trained back last Saturday and I was very happy with the way he’s coming into this race,” Miller said.

Prospect Hill will only need a top-five finish in the first elimination (race 1) to earn a spot in next Saturday’s $435,900 final, but a victory would offer the guarantee of a better draw since winners are guaranteed a post of six or better.

Prospect Hill drew the rail with Andy Miller in the bike as usual and will face a solid field that includes last week’s Garden State Stakes winner Battenberg from post six. The son of Trixton waltzed around the track and then gamely held sway in a 1:56 1/5 mile.

While Miller has good reason to be optimistic with Prospect Hill, she was candid in hoping that her entry in the second division – No Drama Please – will mind his manners and put forth the type of mile necessary to make the final. No Drama Please drew post six of eight in the fourth race division.

“It’s been a roller coaster with him this year,” said Miller. “When he loses focus he makes mistakes.”

The Millers were trying to get No Drama Please qualified for the Kindergarten final and that appeared to be more than a reasonable thought process after the son of Trixton scored in 1:54 3/5 in a division on October 12 at The Meadowlands. “He got really sick after that race,” said Miller. “We tried to get him back quickly and make another start but I just didn’t have enough time to train him hard enough and it showed.”

No Drama Please finished fourth after setting the pace in his final Kindergarten preliminary and didn’t advance to the final. Instead he returned last week and with a third-place finish behind Battenberg in the Garden State, earning a shot in the Valley Victory.

No Drama Please has earned $91,407 in 13 starts this season and faces a formidable challenge in his elimination race.

Chin Chin Hall, a stakes winner at The Red Mile and second behind Gimpanzee in his Breeders Crown elimination, drew the pole position for trainer Melanie Wrenn in this Valley Victory preliminary field. The gelded half-brother to top stallion Cantab Hall hasn’t raced since finishing fifth on October 27 in the Crown final.

Matron winner Super Schissel is well traveled this season for trainer Jimmy Takter and arrives at The Meadowlands with $244K in seasonal earnings. Yannick Gingras drives him from post five.

Trainer Luc Blais could have the goods again with Forbidden Trade, a son of Kadabra with seven wins in nine starts this season including a major victory in the Ontario Gold Super Final on October 13 at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Bob McClure will drive him from post seven.

Post time for Saturday’s 13-race card at The Meadowlands is 7:15 p.m.