Miller eyes success with Indiana-bred youngsters

Harness racing trainer Erv Miller is no stranger to success when it comes to developing babies in the harness racing industry.

The 58-year-old Arthur, IL native, who now resides in Wind Gap, PA has to date, conditioned 6,612 winners to $107,527,050 in career earnings. This year alone Erv has amassed $1,904,394 from 133 winners in the first six months of 2024. He had a pair of back-to-back $6.8 and $6.9 million-earning seasons in 2007 and 2008, and also achieved a high number of $6.3 million in 2022.

On a recent jaunt to Hoosier Park, Erv qualified three youngster who he says are all fairly immature, but who all have great potential. All three are from first-crop sires—Pastor Stephen 3, 1:52.4s ($1,050,992) and Capt Midnight p, 3, 1:48.3s ($551,567).

“We qualified Ponda Eagle (Capt Midnight) last Saturday,” Erv offered. “The Capt Midnights seem to be showing up and looking rather good. We bought this colt at the Hoosier Sale last fall—he was a big, good-looking colt, and looked great in the field. He’s actually the most immature of the three here, but I think he’s one of those youngsters who could come on late in the year. His qualifier was really impressive.”

In rein to driver Mike Oosting, Ponda Eagle qualified on July 13 at Hoosier in 1:57.1, with a blistering final panel of :26.4. Bred by Pond-A-Acres, Ponda Eagle was foaled on March 8, 2022, at New Haven, IN, and was a $40,000 yearling purchase at the 2023 Hoosier Classic Sale by Erv and partners Doug Overhiser of Florida, and Goerge Golemes of Illinois.

Ponda Eagle is the third foal out of the His Mattjesty p, 3, 1:51s ($1,038,861) mare Mandy’s Mattjesty p, 6, 1:50.2s ($307,105) and is a half-brother to the 4-year-old gelding Adam Twelve p, 3, 1:50.2s ($240,987) and the 5-year-old gelding Ponda Hawk p, 3, 1:51.4s ($89,614)—both sired by Luck Be Withyou.

Erv also conditions another Capt Midnight 2-year-old, this one a filly out of the Bettor’s Delight p, 3, 1:49.4 ($2,581,461) mare Bettor Joy N p, 6, 1:50.1 ($516,064). Christened Kountry Carrots, she too was bred by Ola Yoder’s Kountry Lane Standardbreds of Nappanee, IN, and was foaled February 10, 2022, at Cynthiana, KY. Kountry Carrots is the first foal out of her dam and sold for $45,000 at the 2023 Hoosier Sale for Erv, Doug Overhiser, and Levi Bontrager of Ohio.

“Training down, in Florida, I thought she was my best pacing filly,” Erv revealed. “We’ve trained her fast twice now and we’ll see what she shows in her next training session. She’s a big, strong filly with a nice way of going, and I liked her individually—her confirmation stood out—as a yearling, and I knew that her dam raced for a good long time.”

A son of Pastor Stephen also caught Erv’s eye at last year’s Hooser Sale, prompting him to bid $65,000 on the then yearling colt named Ponda Rocky, who qualified on July 17 at Hoosier Park in 2:00.2 with Trace Tetrick in the sulky. Bred by Pond-A-Acres, the brown gelded son of Pastor Stephen was foaled on March 27, 2022, at New Haven, IN, and is owned by Engel Stable of IL LLC, Jerry Graham of IL, & Louis Willinger of KY.

“These are the same group of guys that own Ponda Adventure,” Erv explained. “This colt trained down good all along but when it was time to race, he just wasn’t ready. He’s really nice and easy to be around, but he’s a little immature and he’s not quite developed. He’s not super unsound or anything like that but we’ll probably have him qualify again and then we might put him into a non-winners of one. We thought he’d make a good Indiana Sire Stakes horse and he might just need a little more time to get there than some of the others.”

Ponda Rocky is the fourth foal out of the Muscle Hill mare Wildflower 3, 1:55 ($267,487), and he has half-siblings in the 5-year-old gelding Ponda Adventure (by Swan For All) 3, 1:52.2s ($765,921); the 3-year-old colt Ponda Marshall (by Helpisontheway) 2, Q2:01.4 ($29,800); and the 4-year-old gelding Ponda Chase (by Swan For All) 4, 2:01.2f ($8,910).

Pastor Stephen stood two years (2021 & 2022) in Indiana before being exported. He has produced a total of 48 foals stateside, with his first crop racing this season in the US. To date he has 14 starters, with four wins, a trio of seconds, and four thirds for total foal earnings of $23,695. His fastest youngster is Mr Instigator, 2, Q1:59.2s, who is out of the Donato Hanover mare All Set Lets Go.

Capt Midnight stood in Indiana for three seasons (2021, 2022, 2023) and produced 193 registered foals, 30 starters who have earned $105,309 to date from this first crop who have notched 13 wins.

His fastest performer to date is Loveyoucookie p, 2, 1:53.4s 2 starts two wins ($39,726), of the dam Bluebird Love, and second is Lastchanceforlove p, 2, 1:56.1s ($9,260), out of the dam Kiss Me Once Again. Ponda Eagle is his third fastest performer.