Hollywood’s Hits: The book on David Miller

In honor of David Miller’s first Pepsi North America Cup victory last Saturday (with Betting Line), here is the book on the Hall of Fame driver.

FIRSTS

• Miller’s first drive came at age 12 at the Mansfield Ohio County Fair in 1977. He finished fourth with Hasty Beat
• A graduate of Reynoldsburg High School, Miller’s first win came while still in high school with Ellens Tar Baby in 1981.
• Miller’s first eight-winner day came at The Meadows on Nov. 13, 1993.
• His first nine-winner day was at Northfield Park on Jan. 10, 1998.
• His first 10-winner day on one card came in the 2003 Jug Day card highlighted by No Pan Intended capturing the Little Brown Jug.
• His first Horse of the Year was No Pan Intended in 2003.
• Miller’s first Driver Championship win was at Freehold in 1996 where he won four of the six races contested.
• His first winner at the Meadowlands was Falcons Future.
• His first drive in the Meadowlands Pace was in 1995 when he was fifth, at 12-1 with Cinder Lane Sam.
• Miller’s first million-dollar winner was Falcons Future, who earned $1,057,761.
• In Miller’s first full season at the Meadowlands (1999), he won his biggest ever race with Magician in the Nat Ray (now called the Cashman) for $424,000. He also won the $125,000 Oliver Wendell Holmes with Space Shuttle.
• His first $10 million season came in 2001. Miller holds the record for the most $10 million seasons with 13.

One and only
Miller is the only driver to…

• win five Breeders Crowns in one night or a single season (2015).
• win with a female racehorse in 1:47 (Shebestingin in 2013).
• have driven a Breeders Crown and Triple Crown winner (No Pan Intended, 2003). No other horse has won both.
• win a Triple Crown race in as fast as 1:47.3 (Dealt A Winner in 2015). This marked the first time the Cane Pace was contested at the Meadowlands.
• reach $175 million in earnings in the 21st century.
• win in 1:47 three times in the last four seasons. He also posted the fastest time this year on NA Cup night with a 1:47.1 scorcher with Always B Miki.
• win a million-dollar race 16 years apart (Magician in the 2000 Breeders Crown open trot and Betting Line in the 2016 North America Cup).
• have the North America Cup favorite 21 years apart. In 1995, Cinder Lane Sam was 2.10-1 and finished third. Betting Line was 1.10-1.
• win the first seven-figure event in the history of the Breeders Crown when Magician defeated Moni Maker in the 2000 open trot at the Meadowlands.
• record 14 straight driver titles at Scioto Downs (1990s).
• post the fastest mile for any three-year-old (1:47.3, Dealt A Winner) and the fastest mile for any horse (1:47 for State Treasurer) in the same year.