November 3, 2004
By Kimberly A. Rinker

A winner of seven of her 11 starts and $388,407 in career earnings, Restive Hanover comes into the American National fresh off her sizzling 1:52.4 victory in the $576,800 Breeders Crown Freshman Filly Pace on October 23 at Woodbine. The filly overcame post ten to score a mild upset and give Andy and Erv the biggest victories of their career.

Restive Hanover was purchased by Erv at the Standardbred Horse Sale at Harrisburg last fall for a mere $17,000. Since that time she’s rocketed to a stellar freshman campaign for owners Starmaker Farm and Anthony McEldowney of Kentucky.

"This filly is really easy going," Erv noted. "She's small and really short, but there's a lot to her. She's got a lot of substance and is really strong for her size. Andy and I have a good relationship that has gotten stronger in the last several years. I think I have a lot of insight into what a horse needs, and Andy knows what I'm thinking and we communicate well. He has a good set of hands and knows that if we're racing every week that I want some horse left for the following week. We think alike."

Thinking alike has led the brothers Miller to become one of the most successful sibling teams in North America, with Restive Hanover as their star pupil. The young filly didn’t make her first pari-mutuel start until August 1, when she scored a 1:56 triumph at Hawthorne in an overnight event. After making a miscue in the Arden Downs at the Meadows on August 11, she ventured to the Poconos, where she won a Pennsylvania Sires Stakes event easily for driver Tim Curtain in 1:53.4.

Restive Hanover returned to the Meadows where she made another miscue, and then came back on September 10 to redeem herself by winning at the Pennsylvania oval in 1:56.1 for driver Dave Palone. She then finished second by a neck at Delaware on Jug Day with Palone in the sulky, before venturing to the Red Mile for back-to-back wins, pacing in 1:52 in the International Stallion Stakes on October 7 with Andy at the lines.

Next up was her Breeders Crown elimination at Woodbine, where she finished second to Cabrini Hanover for Andy on October 14. Just a week later she scored the biggest win of her brief career, carrying Andy’s orange, black & white racing colors into that Canadian oval’s winner’s circle.

"Racing in the Breeders Crown was a great experience," Andy, 36, said. "I've had 13 drives in Breeders Crown races prior to this, so I guess number 14 was a charm. It's also nice that my first win in a Crown event came with one of Erv's horses."

Restive Hanover now appears set to add another feather to her cap in this American National Stake for freshman fillies as she faces five rivals, none of whom appear to have the ability to catch her as long as she minds her manners.

Restive Hanover is the eleventh foal out of the prolific mare Razzle Hanover, who herself was a successful racehorse, winning $235,194 and taking a freshman mark of 1:52.2 in a time trial effort. Restive Hanover has no full siblings, but has a host of successful half-brothers including: Rayson Hanover (by Big Towner) p, 3, 1:50.4, a winner of 49 races and $802,803 in earnings; Radar Hanover (by Tyler B) a 79-race winner of $466,469, with a six-year-old record of Q1:54.3.

Other siblings include Radioactive Hanover (by No Nukes) p, 4, 1:51.2 (32 wins-$347,603); Bomb Squad (by No Nukes) p, 6, 1:53.1 (19 wins-$57,821); Rather Hanover (by Tyler B) p, 4, 1:57.2 ($49,848) and Reynolds Hanover (by No Nukes) p, 3, 1:55.1 ($47,298).