Jeff Miller takes on Ohio fair stakes

August 03, 2007

Trainer Jeff Miller shipped in three horses from his training base in Haviland, Ohio for Friday�s Ohio State Fair Stakes, and went home with a win, a second and a third. The State Fair Stakes, for Ohio-bred two and three year olds, conclude Saturday night after paying out total purses of $675,000 over four nights at Scioto Downs.

He came close in the first race, one of three $20,000 divisions of the Ohio�s First Lady Pace for sophomore pacing fillies, when Evening Jet missed by a nostril. The grey Jet Laag filly, owned by the Jeff Miller Stable and Jeffery Phlipot, went three wide at the three-quarters, suffered interference in the stretch, but still finished second to Western Bunny in 1:56.4.

Miller then sent out Docdor Skip in the first of three $22,400 Governor�s Cup Trot splits for three-year-old trotting colts, and that son of Pegasus Spur was third.

It was Docdor Reece, another son of Pegasus Spur, in the second trot division that got Miller to the winner�s circle. Owned by the Jeff Miller Stable and Dorothy Miller, Docdor Reece went wire-to-wire for driver Jeff Nisonger to win by a length in 1:58. It was the colt�s fifth win in 11 outings this season.

Miller said he had 22 horses in training, the majority of whom are Ohio-breds. �I have a couple of Pennsylvania-breds, and a Canadian-bred, but I like the Ohio program,� he said. Of Docdor Reese, the colt�s trainer and co-owner said, �I agree with what Jeff said when he got off the bike. �He�s a nice horse, but if he ever develops that killer instinct, he�ll be a really good horse.�

Miller, best known for training Eternal Camnation, who retired as the richest pacing mare of all time, said his star has produced two Real Artist fillies and is foal to Western Hanover. �Both fillies look just like her, especially the younger one. Looking at her out in the field, you would swear it was Eternal Camnation.

�We�ve been breeding her half brother to some of our mares at the farm, World Harvest [by Artsplace], and his first foals are yearlings this year,� he said. �I even started racing him again. He�s such a gentleman, I think you could put him on a trailer with a mare. He has a lot of class � if he passes it on to his foals, I think he�ll make a nice sire.�

Smarty Marty Z won the division where Miller was third, scoring by a nose in 1:58.2. Bob Harper drove for trainer Edward Rider and owner Fred Polk of Zanesville. The gelded son of Pegasus Spur, who took a new mark with the effort, was winning his fifth start of the year in 11 outings.

Heza Challenger, a son of Chip Chip Hooray, took the last division in impressive fashion, making a bold move at the half to nab the lead, then drawing off to win by three and a quarter in a new best 1:57.1. The gelding, trained and driven by Sam �Chip� Noble III for Robert Kauffman, is now four-for-five this year, after having just one start as a freshman.

Western Bunny, who captured the first of the filly paces in a 1:56.4 blanket finish, was notching her third straight. A daughter of Precious Bunny, she�s trained by James Mulinix for DM Stables LLC, W. Rufenacht and D. Miller. Russell Swartz drove.

Nip N Attack took the second division in wire-to-wire fashion, scoring by two and a quarter in 1:53.2, a tick better than her previous lifetime best. The speedy daughter of On The Attack is now seven-for-12 this season. Kyle Ater drove for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr., who co-owns with Jay Corey and David Habeger.

The final State Fair Stake of the night was well worth waiting for, as reigning divisional champ Osborne�s Gypsy showed the other sophomore fillies she was still boss. The daughter of On The Attack fended off numerous challengers to score her fourth win of the season. As she so often does, she went to the front and stayed there � scoring by two and a half in 1:53.4.

Ryan Stahl drove for trainer Eric Hamlet and owner Jerome T. Osborne of Mentor, Ohio, As a two-year-old, Osborne�s Gypsy won seven of eight and banked $125,282 during her championship season. (Scioto Downs)

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