Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Miller Set to Drive in Italy

June 15, 2005

Chicago's own Andy Ray Ready for June 18-24 Driving Championship
On Thursday driver Andy Miller and a small entourage of supporters will fly the friendly skies en route to the land of pasta, pizza and pesto. The affable Miller is set to represent the United States in the 2005 World Driving Championships, held this year in Italy.

As recognition for his representation of America, Andy accepted a set of unique driving colors from USTA President Phil Langley in a winner’s circle ceremony at Balmoral Park on May 28. Miller will wear his special colors with the solid red sleeves, and white stars covering a blue vest throughout the mid-June competition at various tracks in in Italy.

“The USTA really did a great job with the colors and the helmet,” Miller said. “I’m very honored to represent the United States this way—doing what I love to do—which is driving horses, and hopefully I’ll make the USA proud. This will be my first time overseas. I’m very excited about racing there and about seeing the historical sites and the cities and all of the racetracks.”

The Mattoon, Illinois native will shed his orange, black and white silks to drive for the first time outside of North America, and will be joined on his adventure by wife Julie. The 36-year-old reinsman and his family reside with a modest stable of horses at their farm in Beecher, Illinois. Son Tyler, 7 and daughter Olivia, 5 will remain at home.

“My sister-in-law Heidi (trainer/brother Erv’s wife) is going with us, as is her mom,” Miller said. “Julie and I thought it was best to leave the children at home for this trip as the schedule would just be too hard on them. We’re going to be busy every minute of the ten days that we’re there, it seems.”

Miller grew up in downstate Arthur and began racing at county fairs when he was just a teenager. In 1985, his first year of driving, he earned merely $430. Since moving to Chicago in 1996 to race full time Miller has posted $1 million winning seasons every year.

In 2004 Miller steered his 4,000th winner and is well known for his partnership with greats such as Taser Gun, Loyal Opposition, Incredible Tillie, and Aries Conquest. To date, Miller has piloted the winners of well over $36 million and has already surpassed $1 million in earnings in 2005.

“Growing up in an Amish family who had horses was certainly a big advantage for me,” Miller said. “When you’re born into a family with horses, you’re going to have an advantage over other folks who may have grown up in the city. That’s not to say that a city person can’t become a good harness driver or trainer—but it may take them longer simply because they weren’t raised in that atmosphere and thus allowed to take advantage of their situation.”

“I don’t really know anything about the Italian style of racing, so I’ve asked the USTA to get me some tapes of some races there,” Miller said. “ It will be pretty strange with all of the different drivers coming from different countries, but I think you can adapt pretty quick by just knowing and being around horses. I love trotters so I think that is a good thing. When you love horses, and you’ve grown up with them, you can adapt no matter what kind of horses you’re around.”

“I talked to Dave Magee a little bit about it too, since he represented the US in 1995,” Miller added. “Besides the racing, there’s a lot of formal stuff and parties that go with the trip. This is just a great opportunity for me, and I’m very excited to see how they do things over there.”