by James Platz

When Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing and Casino raises the curtain on its 32nd season of harness racing this evening (March 14), it will do so with a new, yet familiar, face among the driving colony. Marcus Miller, son of trainer Erv Miller, is returning to his Midwestern roots and will drive full time at the Anderson, IN oval. The catch driver spent more than a decade competing in Pennsylvania and on the East Coast.

“I kind of always knew that I would eventually move back to the Midwest,” Marcus said. “I enjoyed my time in Pennsylvania, but it never really all the way felt like home. And then, you know, last year my sister had a baby girl and I have a couple of kids now. And then [brother-in-law] Atlee [Bender] got hurt, so I was spending a lot of time in this part of the country anyway, kind of filling in for him, and it just felt like I had one foot in the door already and I was enjoying my time back here. The age of the kids and everything, we just said, you know what, let’s just go. It’s where we want to end up. Let’s just go that way now.”

Marcus got his start in Chicago, developing into one of the top reinsmen on the circuit before making the move to the Keystone State in 2013. While he considered Pocono Downs his home track, opportunities allowed the 35-year-old to sit behind horses at venues across the United States and Canada. The price paid meant a lot of time on the road and away from home. Now Marcus is reshuffling priorities and staying closer to home.

“I raced everywhere, all over Pennsylvania,” he said. “I did the New York Sire Stakes, the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes circuit, those two, quite a bit of Yonkers and New Jersey, all that. I feel like I learned a lot. I mean, I raced against every driver, every trainer you can think of out there. So yeah, I think it was good for me. Now that I have a couple of little boys, though, it was a lot of work, a lot of traveling, and I wanted to kind of be able to focus just in one spot. I think that’s the opportunity that Hoosier presents; be close to home and not have to run around like crazy like I did out there.”

Marcus said that he and his wife, Sara, had talked about renting a home in central Indiana at first, but decided to put their stake in the ground and purchase a home 30 minutes from the track. As he closes one chapter and begins another, Marcus is appreciative for his stint on the East Coast.

“I’m happy with how it went,” he said. “You know, I was hoping that I had some Grand Circuit success while I was out there. I was hoping there would have been more, but, you know, that’s the toughest part of the game is getting into those races. I had a lot of opportunities. I’ve driven a lot of really nice horses. It’s taken me around the world. I went to Australia and a few other places, all over Canada. I’ve raced in about every state in the United States that has racing except for maybe Maine. So, yeah, it’s been good to me. I can’t complain about it.”

Shifting focus to Hoosier Park, the driver will benefit from his father’s string of Indiana horses. Last season at Harrah’s Hoosier Park, the Erv Miller Stable finished second in wins, claiming 88 victories in 533 starts. The trainer led all conditioners with more than $1.8 million in earnings. He earned the training title at Oak Grove, and Bender was leading driver at the track despite sustaining an injury in early July that sidelined him the remainder of 2024. With Bender now back in the sulky, both men will share in the driving duties for the stable.

“He’s got a ton of horses for this year, and I think there’s plenty of work for both of us,” Marcus said. “I think there’s room there for both of us, so I’m not worried about it.”

In order to be successful, he will need more opportunities than the stable can provide. Marcus competed this winter at Hawthorne, and leading into the Hoosier meet he has driven in Ohio. The challenge is informing horsemen he is no longer in Pennsylvania while building his business in the Midwest.

“I think this year, I talk about the schedule being lighter, but I think this year I’ve got to take every chance I get this direction,” said Marcus, a winner of more than 4,700 races with earnings just shy of $62 million. “You know, right now I’m driving to Miami Valley. I’ve got three in over here tonight, so just whatever I can get right now, I’ve got to jump on everything I can until I’m fully established back in this part of the country.”

Tonight, Marcus is programmed in eight of the 14 races on the Opening Night card. Four of his drives are slated with Jeff Cullipher-trained horses. Cullipher finished fourth in the trainer standings last season. Marcus also has multiple drives in Saturday’s 14-race card.

“I was a little nervous about that part, but I think my main goal for this first little bit is to get on the sheet and just try to do the best I can with what I have, and hopefully it just goes from there,” Marcus said of securing drives for opening weekend. “I was happy to be listed on quite a few horses for this opening weekend, so I think the opportunity is going to be there. I’ve just got to capitalize on it.”