What a way to end a stellar career. Country Girl Charm stepped onto the track for the last time Monday, March 6 at Miami Valley Raceway and came home a winner, completing a career that has spanned the past four years with wins. The trotter glided home to lead two other Indiana sired horses to make it an Indiana trifecta in the $14,000 conditioned event.
Country Girl Charm completed her career just as she started it, with a win for the LeWayne and Susan Miller Stable Monday, March 6 at Miami Valley Raceway. Photo by Conrad Photography
Starting from post five, Country Girl Charm wasted no time identifying the game plan, going straight out for the lead for driver LeWayne Miller. She secured the top spot from Train and Sam Widger after the quarter in :28.0 and kept the tempo lively, passing by the half in :56.1 with company creeping up on the outside in the form of Up Blueberry Hill and Mitchell Cushing. They were still hanging around at the three-quarters in 1:24.4 when Country Girl Charm hit another gear.
Country Girl Charm kicked it up a notch and began to put more space between her and the rest of the field in the final turn. In the stretch, she was on top by three in a comfortable mode, holding steady all the way to the wire in 1:55.2. Jesse Popper, a son of Sing Jesse Sing driven by Kayne Kauffman, finished second followed by the Swan for All mare Swan Fashion, who finished third for Brett Miller.
Country Girl Charm was a bit of a surprise in her first win of 2023, paying $16.40 for the win. The five-year-old daughter of Whom Shall I Fear is owned by Ryan Raber, L & S Racing, D & S Stable, and JW Stable. Susan Miller trains the mare, who is one of the stable’s favorites.
Country Girl Charm is from the second crop of Whom Shall I Fear. She was purchased from the Hoosier Classic Yearling Sale for $6,000 by Ryan Raber, who contacted the Miller Stable to handle her training duties. She completes her career with more than $330,000 in earnings. She is the star of her maternal family. There is a three-year-old half-sister named Hopeyoudo that raced last year for the Miller Stable and a yearling filly by Dover Dan named Dover Lady who will most likely be at the sales this fall.
Country Girl Charm began her career at Harrah’s Hoosier Park at two, winning five of eight starts and taking a mark of 1:56.1 in the process. Several of those wins were in Indiana Sires Stakes action and she finished second in the $270,000 Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final as a freshman. She returned at three to be competitive once again in the Sires Stakes program and didn’t miss many checks. Her career best time was taken at three in 1:54.2, also at Harrah’s Hoosier Park. Overall, she ends her career with 10 wins in 42 starts and finished in the top three 57 percent of the time.
Country Girl Charm returns to the Miller Stable in Anderson, Ind. for the next phase of her career. She will join fellow Miller-trained standout Ladylikeitis. Country Girl Charm has an appointment with Fiftydallarbill this spring as she enters motherhood.