Pocono: Brett Miller looks to shine in Sun Stakes

Catch drivers are independent contractors and as such earn a living based on the quality of the horses they drive and their ability to navigate a program and a racetrack. That their good fortune or lack thereof may make the difference between a large paycheck or none at all is generally lost to the average player. While gamblers bemoan inches in a photo finish, very often drivers do exactly the same.

Take Brett Miller for example. A week ago he hopped aboard last year’s Breeders Crown champion Fiftydallarbill for the first time in an elimination for the $500,000 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial. Miller was substituting for regular pilot Trace Tetrick on this lone occasion and it was his one chance to race a top trotter for a huge amount of money.

“I can’t believe he lost by a nose of making the final,” Miller said, bemoaning not just his hard luck but the misfortune of a race that hardly played out as expected and in the process forced Fiftydallarbill to be put in an uncompromising position.

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“When Alarm Detector went offstride I had to come to a complete stop and he broke stride,” said Miller of Fiftydallarbill. “After he recovered I have to say I’ve never driven a trotter that could go that fast.”

Fiftydallarbill’s miraculous recovery saw him come from an impossible spot and nearly make the final. The nose loss will put him back in the $75,000 consolation on Saturday night, severely limiting his connections’ chances of a big payday.

Then Miller had to guide the fleet filly Sidewalk Dancer from post eight in one of two eliminations for the James Lynch. The daughter of A Rocknroll Dance has been razor sharp this year but an outside draw in an elimination race is never easy. “She was parked a long way to reach the front,” said Miller. “I thought she raced well but honestly I think she’s a better filly when chasing than when on the lead.”

Luck was on Miller’s side as well as the connections behind Sidewalk Dancer this week as the filly landed the rail in the $300,000 finale while her conqueror Kissin In The Sand received no break for her victory and will start from the outside in post nine.

Considering Sidewalk Dancer’s racing style, Miller didn’t seem that concerned with the challenges of starting from the inside post. “I think with her it won’t be an issue. I can put horses in behind me that I don’t want to follow or let those I’m willing to chase get ahead,” said Miller.

Sidewalk Dancer has won three of her five starts this year, all with Miller in the bike driving for trainer Chris Oakes. “She is a good-sized filly with really high speed,” said Miller of Sidewalk Dancer, already a winner in excess of $100,000 in 2018.

Miller has three other drives in the Sun Stakes finals on Saturday at The Downs at Pocono, but he believes Sidewalk Dancer is the best of the bunch.

The Miller-Oakes tandem will take their chances in the $500,000 Max Hempt final with Hitman Hill, who landed post two in the field of nine that contains current phenom Lather Up from post seven.

“I thought he really dug in late to fight off those horses,” said Miller of Hitman Hill’s 1:49 3/5 career best clocking in one of three Hempt elimination races last Saturday.

“I thought that was a very good mile considering they said he was battling a foot issue all week coming into that race. Hopefully with that behind him he’ll be better this week.”

Though a winner in six of seven starts as a freshman, Miller suggested that the son of American Ideal had a penchant for getting a little hot. This year he sees a more mature horse and perhaps one in position to get a large check.

“It’s going to be tough,” said Miller. “Lather Up has been in incredible form.”

While Miller again got the luck of the draw in the $500,000 Ben Franklin final with Mac’s Jackpot, that didn’t seem to impress the morning line oddsmaker who tabbed the 4-year-old at 15-1.

“You know he’s actually been getting better,” said Miller of Mac’s Jackpot, a horse with just one victory in nine starts this year. “He’s the kind of horse that needs 20 strides to pick up speed. Last week we were following Mcwicked and when he took off I couldn’t stay with him. That let Scott Rocks get in front. If that didn’t happen I would definitely have finished second with him. Miller appears to get along well with Mac’s Jackpot. He finished third with him in last year’s Progress Pace at Dover Downs behind the now-retired duo of Downbytheseaside and Fear The Dragon.

Sometimes catch drivers get what others don’t want and that’s the case for Miller in the $500,000 Beal final as ironically he’ll guide the horse that nosed out Fiftydallarbill. Trainer Tom Fanning selected Miller after David Miller opted for Fashionwoodchopper, who drew inside. Mississippi Storm has shown impressive early speed in his career and that may prove Miller’s lone option.

While Fiftydallarbill’s traffic was an issue in his Beal elimination, Miller had issues with Dealt A Winner that clearly left him out of the Franklin final and instead in the $75,000 consolation. “He was on the left line the entire trip and I just couldn’t get him off of it. I mean there’s no way to evaluate how good he was,” Miller said. The 6-year-old by Cams Card Shark has put in some big miles for trainer Mark Silva and Miller suggested we might see a better version of the horse this Saturday night.

Last year Dealt A Winner had no issues in his Franklin elimination, winning easily before drawing poorly for the final.

This year Miller and Dealt A Winner’s connections will have to settle for consolation money and hope he straightens out.

Luck plays a major role in the sport, but those driving in the Sun Stakes finals have the talent to excel on the sport’s biggest stage.