Mach It So dug down deep for driver David Miller to capture his second William Haughton Memorial against some of the game’s grittiest warriors.

Miller got away fourth with the Jeff Bamond, Jr. trainee while Bettors Edge sprinted to the top and put up the opening quarter clocked in :25.4. Miller popped to the outside with Mach It So in the backstretch, and they quickly took command of the tempo. Mach It So blazed through remaining fractions of :54.1, 1:20.4 and 1:47.1 before holding off a surging Boston Red Rocks in 2:00.4. Bettors Edge was third.

“With the extra eighth of a mile, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” said driver Miller. “When the gate folded, it looked like there were about 10 of them (in a 12-horse field) leaving. By the time we got to the first turn, it had settled down and I was sitting fourth.

“We were actually going a pretty moderate pace, so I went ahead and moved him to see what would happen,” Miller added. “The horse first up just kind of rode there and we got our own way. He fought really hard through the stretch. I think Boston Red Rocks got up on him, but this horse fought back and put his head in front. That (1:47.1) is a big mile for him. He was still pacing hard at the wire. I give the horse a lot of credit. He’s a quality horse. He’s been around for a long time and he’s won this race before.”

Bamond Racing LLC of Brick, NJ owns the seven-year-old son of Mach Three-Beach Dancer. The gelding is a 37-time winner with purse earnings of $2,078,281.

(Standardbred Canada)