By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

LEBANON, Ohio — Go ahead – call her a woman driver. She won’t mind at all.

In a sport dominated by the boys, Devan Miller is out to prove that she’s no pushover when it comes to competing in harness racing. Miller, who is just 19, has already proven she can compete with men.

“I was born in it and started jogging horses when I was just five,” said Miller, who lives in Troy, Ohio, and is a 2006 graduate of Troy High School. “I began training horses when I was eight and when I was 12, I got my first set of licenses.”

She obtained her matinee qualifying license, or fair license, at age 18 and obtained her parimutuel license last year. She began racing in front of large crowds during the Warren County Fair in Lebanon and eventually, during live racing at Lebanon Raceway.

“Now I’ve been all over, I’ve raced at Lebanon, Scioto Downs, Freehold, Northfield and Meadowlands,” she said.

At the latter oval, Miller captured a $21,800 feature trot, piloting the trotter Maltese Malcom in a blazing time of 1:56.4. She became the 17th female driver to win a race at the Meadowlands. No female has won at the Big M since Jackie Ingrassia reached the winner’s circle on Dec. 4.

Miller was not the youngest driver to ever compete at the Big M. That distinction is held by Susan Looney, who drove at age 16 in 1984.

Miller, who has a little more than 300 races under her belt, has 10 career wins. She has won six times with the pacer Easy Connection. Of her drives, 124 have occurred in Ohio.

“At Freehold I see better horses and better drivers, but it’s the same as Lebanon in that it’s a half-mile track,” she said. “My eventual goal is to follow in the footsteps of my dad.”

Her father, David, is known by any harness track attendee. David is among the top 10 money earners in the sport. As for the younger Miller, she realizes she must pay her dues by working at the smaller circuits and her way up the ladder.

“I drive a lot,” she admitted. “I used to get nervous, but now I’m more anxious than nervous.”

Her appearance on the track makes some male drivers nervous, and perhaps a bit envious. Miller says some are a bit prejudiced.
“I feel it sometimes,” she said. “It’s not that the guys are against me. I just don’t think they take me seriously. The guys just don’t know that I’m bred to do this.”

She credits her grandfather, R.J. Brown, for introducing her to the sport and giving her the proper training. She says it has its ups and downs.

“I like the sport because you can really make something out of yourself by working hard,” she said. “If you’re a nurse, you’re always a nurse, but with this sport you can start out small and make it big like my dad.

“The down side is it’s an everyday job with no days off. Plus, it requires a lot of hours and you don’t know when you’re going to race.”