by Bob Heyden

David Miller will be 59 on Sunday (Dec. 10) and Aaron Merriman, 45, is en route to his ninth-straight dash-winning title. Here’s a refresher on the pair who’ve made the Buckeye state proud.

DAVID MILLER:

• He’s closing in on an $11-million season as of Dec. 6. As the clock strikes 12 on Sunday, Miller becomes the only driver at age 59 ever to do this, by a lot. Only one of John Campbell’s last three full seasons (2014-16) was over $5 million. No other driver has had a $6 million or better season from age 59 on.

• Miller is No. 3 in the nation in earnings and is $18 million away from the all-time total of Campbell at $299,892,141.

• He won the first $1 million Breeders Crown with Magician in 2000.

• He drove the first and only HOY/Breeders Crown/Triple Crown winner No Pan Intended in 2003.

WHAT COULD MILLER LOOK FORWARD TO AT 59? LET’S TAKE A LOOK:

1. John Campbell won two Breeders Crowns at 59 with Shelliscape and Thinking Out Loud in 2014.

2. John Campbell won two Triple Crown races at 59, the Yonkers Trot and Kentucky Futurity, with Nuncio in 2014.

3. Mike Lachance won a Breeders Crown in 2009 with Pilgrims Taj (2YOTC) at 59. Lachance later added a Kentucky Futurity at both 62 and 63 with My MVP and Creatine, respectively.

4. Del Miller, who at 47 led in earnings in 1960 in North America at 567G, at age 59 had his filly Delmonica Hanover second to Super Bowl in the 1972 Hambletonian. 

5. Stanley Dancer was the breeder of a filly named Peace Corps who was foaled the year he was 59 in 1986. By the most ironic twist of fate, Billy Haughton wound up with the fabulous filly who was, and is, the only four-time Breeders Crown winner.

6. When Billy Haughton turned 59 in 1982, he campaigned the 1981 Wilson winner McKinzie Almahurst to a solid season.

7. At 59, Roger Hammer debuted, and won, the 2005 Hambletonian with Vivid Photo, the first of eight at $1,500,000 and his one and only Hambletonian drive.

8. When Frank Ervin was 59, a colt named Bret Hanover, Hip #770, sold for a sales-topping $50,000 — to Ervin’s owner Richard Downing — in 1963 and would soon go on to a three-time Horse of the Year career.

CAN MILLER KEEP IT GOING?

Ron Pierce’s career was similar is some ways to Miller’s. They both were late to the national scene and both won their first Breeders Crown at 35. Here’s Miller’s breakdown by decade in earnings:

20s — $8 million

30s — $67 million

40s — $119 million

50s — $90 million (and counting)

ONE MORE THING ON MILLER

Look how close he and Tim Tetrick are in career earnings per start:

Tetrick — 68,173 drives, $268,993,199, average per drive $3,947.

Miller — 69,236 drives, $281,883,993 average per drive $4,071.

AARON MERRIMAN

• So far in 2023, ٧٧١ wins, 3,926 drives with $8.8 million.

• Ninth straight leading dash-winning title. An all-time best.

• First appeared in the Trotting & Pacing Guide in 2005 with 1280 wins No. 630 all time.

• The 2001 Peter Haughton winner in Ohio and their Rising Star.

• “I want to be successful for years to come,” he said in 2002.

• First drive — Sept. 21, 1997 in a FFA in Dover, OH with Knolls Vandelier (eighth).

• First pari-mutuel start — May 10, 1998 also with Knolls Vandelier (seventh).

• “Horses didn’t hold much interest for me when I was a kid. I was kind of scared of them. And I definitely didn’t want to get dirty.”

• Q license at 18. “Didn’t want to get it at 16 when I first could have.”

• P license at 19.

• First card with multiple drives, June 1998.

• First pari-mutuel win in July 1998 with Albert’s Filly at Raceway Park.

• Third in victories all time.

TRACE THESE SPEEDBALLS

In 2022, Trace Tetrick was the first to drive Confederate. He finished third on July 28, 2022 at Hoosier Park and closed in :25.2.

In 2023, he is the first driver to finish in :24.2 — official chart time — with Coach Stefanos in his victorious Breeders Crown elimination.

He is currently No. 5 in North America in victories with his brother Tim at No. 6. He is wrapping up his 10^th-straight Hoosier Park driving title.

A :30 OPENING QUARTER LED TO A WORLD RECORD?

It happened at least twice in major world records.

In 1971 in the Tattersalls, Albatross had a pair of 1:54.4 world sophomore records, one off a :30 opener.

In 2000, Moni Maker and Julie Krone went :30, :58,1:26.1, and 1:54.1.

IN 1972, 192G IN ONE MONTH?

Speedy Crown did it, earning $192G in July 1972. His biggest slice came when George Morton Levy offered 50G to Howard Beissinger and Speedy Crown to take on Fresh Yankee and Une de Mai at Roosevelt. Beissinger held out until the number hit $150,000. He then stalked the great mares and came out to win for fun. “I hated to bill my owners for $19,200 as my training/driving fee that month, but I did it,” Beissinger said.

CLASS DID TELL

Dave Willoughby was the caretaker for Bret Hanover. At that time, the only 2YO to win the HOY title. So, it should not come as a shock that in the very first Wilson (1977), the name Dave Willoughby shows up for the Haughton entry and again in 1980, then working for Bill Popfinger.

SOME CONSOLATION

There have been two $2-million races in standardbred history. In 1980, Land Grant won the Wilson for $2,011,000 and four years later the Wilson vaulted to $2,161,000. But, the consolations, well, were quite different.

In 1980 — one consolation — $30,000.

In 1984 — four consolations totaling — $500,000 for $200G, $150G, $100G and $50G.

I guess somebody spoke up.

DAY OR NIGHT?

Bulldog Hanover, 1:45.4, nighttime in 2022 at The Meadowlands.

Always B Miki, 1:46, daytime in 2016 at Red Mile.

Allywag Hanover, 1:46, daytime in 2022 at Red Mile.

Confederate, 1:46.1, daytime in 2023 at Red Mile.

Cambest, 1:46.1, daytime in 1993 at Springfield.

SOUTHWIND FARMS

They swept the trots on FanDuel Championships/Fall Final Four Night with offspring of Tactical Landing, Muscle Hill and Walner. The farm never had a trotting stallion — Royce was their first pacer in the early 1980s — until Valley Victory made his way there from 1990 on. It should come as no surprise with names like the Skolnicks, Dominic Santorelli, Mike Klau, Charlie Williams and many more, leading the way.