Miller and Celebrity Pegasus prove age doesn’t matter

On Tuesday (Sept 23), Lavern Miller, 73, and 13-year-old trotting horse Celebrity Pegasus came to Northville Downs at Barry Expo Center in Hastings, MI, just like they would any other day…to race.

In race two, Celebrity Pegasus (Andover Hall – Celebrity Athena), who is owned and trained by Samuel Eicher, left the starting car for early position with driver Kody Massey, but ended up parked outside the early leader Kings Sweetheart (David Lake) until the three-quarters when Celebrity Pegasus’ class kicked in and he powered by to the lead by three lengths to the stretch and managed to hang on to win by a length over hard-charging Emerald Chip  and Lauren Harmon. The final clocking of 2:00 established a new trotting track record for an aged horse. The win was the 57th of the trotter’s career and he now boasts earnings of $548,358.

Meanwhile, Lavern Miller, who has been driving horses since at least 1977 and is 73 years young, had two drives on the card in races four and seven. Miller generally averages a total of 50 or so drives each year and usually only wins a handful of those on the year. But 2025 has been much kinder to Lavern who is having his best year driving in his career. Coming into the day he had 52 drives with eight wins, two of those eight coming the week prior between a fair and Northville Downs. But on this day, September 23, 2025, Lavern Miller would not only win one of his drives, but two! In race four, he piloted Bo Nanza Chip to a win in 1:59.4 after being parked to the half before storming home to win going away by three and three-quarters lengths for owner Jd Yoder. Then in race seven, Lavern once again took an ugly parked out trip with his own charge Capella Star (Big Rigs – Dreamy Secret) to win by a nose over Juu Dee Kaa (David Lake) in 2:02. When Lavern pulled up in the winner’s circle he said, “This is my very first driving double in my career!” Miller now has 54 drives 10 wins, 9 seconds and six thirds for a UDRS of .315 and this is officially his winningest year so far in the racebike. The two wins on the day also mean he has won four of his last drives. 

In the co-featured $13,200 Mares Open, Pair of Hardts (Manhardt – Earhart Hanover) and Charles Taylor shot in between horses late to win by a neck in 1:57.2 for owners Charles Taylor and Jaime Zenker. 

And finally, the co-featured $13,200 Open Trot was won in coast-to-coast fashion by Rose Run Vincent (And Away We Go – Real Housewife) for owner/trainer/driver David Lake in 1:59.3 by a half-length over Peter The Con (Ed Hennessey) who closed up ground, albeit too late. 

Driver David Lake led all drivers on the afternoon with four wins while Lavern Miller had two as a driver and trainer. 

Racing resumes Wednesday (Sept 24) in Hastings. MI at Northville Downs with a first race post time of 1pm ET.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Kenneth W. Terpenning for Northville Downs