Millionaire Lindy The Great returns

The wins didn’t add up for Lindy The Great last year, but the money sure did. Despite only one harness racing victory, Lindy The Great’s $390,074 in purses were surpassed by just three older trotters: Dan Patch Award winners Gimpanzee and Manchego, plus Atlanta.

Lindy The Great’s earnings also established a career high for the trotter and pushed the 7-year-old Crazed stallion’s lifetime total to $1.03 million.

“You always like the W, that’s why we do what we do, but he was so consistent,” trainer Julie Miller said about Lindy The Great, who earned a check in 15 of his 16 races last year. “To stay in that kind of form from May to the end of November, that’s a tribute to what a nice horse he is. He tries. You can’t ask for more.

“At that top level, it’s not easy to ship all around and race that strong every start. I’ll take a barn full of horses like him.”

Lindy The Great joined Miller’s stable last year. He is owned by Andy Miller Stable Inc. and Team Lindy The Great.

“He is one of our favorites; Andy just loves him to death,” Miller said, referring to her husband, who also is the horse’s driver. “You always take pride in your trotters and having a nice aged trotter makes it easier to get up in the morning. We’re hoping to have a nice season with him. He came back really well.”

Lindy The Great makes his seasonal debut Saturday at The Meadowlands, where he faces six foes in the $30,000 Preferred Handicap for trotters. He is 7-2 on the morning line, third choice behind Scirocco Rob (5-2) and JL Cruze (3-1).

The stallion’s first Grand Circuit stakes event is the Arthur J. Cutler Memorial on May 15 at The Meadowlands.

“We staked him heavily,” Miller said. “Instead of getting thirds and fourths, this year I’d like to get wins and seconds. But it’s a deep group (of older trotters), very serious competition. It’s great for the owners and the fans, and us too. That’s why we do what we do, to be in those kinds of races.”

Lindy The Great’s top career win came in 2019 in the Caesars Trotting Classic at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Last year, he won a conditioned race and was second in the Maple Leaf Trot, John Cashman Memorial, and Dayton Trotting Derby. He finished third in the TVG Series Open Trot championship and Caesars Trotting Classic.

Lifetime, Lindy The Great has won 15 of 63 races.

What makes him special in the eyes of Miller?

“He’s a big, strong, muscular stud horse, but he’s a gentle giant,” Miller said. “When he’s on the track, most people know who he is because he has that look, that presence about him. He’s full of himself. He knows that he’s special, that’s for sure. He’s just a crowd-pleaser.”

Lindy The Great enters Saturday’s start off a second-place finish behind Back Of The Neck in his first qualifier of the year, April 10 at The Meadowlands. Lindy The Great, who was beaten by a neck, stopped the timer in 1:51.4, with a :26.2 last quarter.

“It was a good qualifier and a nice group of horses,” Miller said. “We were happy with our horse. We bounced around whether we should qualify once or twice, but for as fast as they go in the qualifiers, you might as well race and try to get some purse money as well.”

Which is something Lindy The Great knows how to do, greatly.

by Ken Weingartner, for the USTA