Miller wins with heavy heart

Gene Miller won last Friday night’s $15,000 Silver Cup for amateur drivers at the Meadowlands with a heavy heart, having learned a few hours earlier that his father, Albert, had died at the age of 87. Miller told harnessracing.com Wednesday morning he received the phone call while in New Jersey, and that it was ironic he was able to step into the sulky to drive Bingham, who was owned by his dad, to the Silver Cup victory.

“Roger Bartley was programmed to drive, but he got stranded on the end of the runway in Columbus (Ohio) trying to fly here (because of bad weather),” said Miller, who was the first also-eligible driver into the Silver Cup if a driver called off. “(My father) would not have seen the race, but I would have called him after the race.”

Miller said his father still ran about 1 ½ miles a day, and had done so shortly before his death to an apparent heart attack on Friday. Miller said his father purchased his first horse in the late 1960s and has owned “quite a few over the years.”

As for the 11-year-old Bingham, who has also made several starts on the pace, he won his 112th career race in the Silver Cup—his 101st on the trot. Miller maneuvered to the outside in tight quarters in the final turn with Bingham before going on to the victory.

“It was a very tiring track, but as far as Bingham goes, he had short toes and new shoes, and that has always helped him if it is a tiring track,” said Miller. “I took the low road. Everybody was out in the two-horse position, and I did hit two pylons. There was an inquiry on me and I assume they were taking a good look at where I went with the pylons. But I didn’t go inside them; I ran over them.”

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