Matt Miller made the most of his two runs Thursday night.

After running into trouble early aboard Hokies Cat, Miller rebounded with his second horse.

The Poolville, Texas, cutter and Soda Rey Bay marked 222 to win the Classic Non-Pro finals by 2.5 points at James Brown Arena.

Miller won his second Augusta Futurity title, taking home the top prize of $16,000. Elizabeth Queen of Lipan, Texas, and Bet on Blue 498 placed second at 219.5 for $9,000. Jarrett Callahan of York, S.C., and Cats Dual Olena finished (217, $8,500), while William Nix III of Olar, S.C., finished fourth (216.5, $7,250) and Benjie Neely of Lyons, Ga., and Palona fifth (216, $6,500).

Miller celebrated his victory with his fiancee Megan Merrill. The two cutters got engaged, Dec. 9, with plans to get married in September at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Miller, who won the 2006 Futurity Non-Pro title, moved into the top 70 in all-time Augusta earnings with his latest win.

"The first time I won here was my second big win, and it was a really big deal," he said. "And so is this. This is a very well-known show. It means a lot."

He and Soda Rey Bay entered the finals with the top aggregate score. Miller and Hokies Cat rode second in the 21-horse finals. The pair marked just 210 and finished in a tie for 14th place, but he gained valuable experience.

"When I showed in the first bunch, I wasn't very patient at all and I rushed a lot of things," he said. "I really kept that in mind when I showed in the second bunch. I really just tried to slow down and let everything happen."

He and Soda Rey Bay, a 5-year-old gelding, rode first in the second bunch of cattle. Miller said riding first, instead of riding a couple of spots later in the run when it's usually ideal, didn't bother him.

The 23-year-old Miller and his mount cut their first cow and then stayed on their second cow a full 40 seconds in the middle of the pen.

"I knew I had been on it for a long time, but it still acted good," he said. "Me and my help were all on the same page with it. They wanted me to stay hooked with it and I did."

Soda Rey Bay made the run when it began dancing back in forth in front of the second cow.

"He likes to get a little crazy sometimes," Miller said. "He likes to whip around and play a lot, but that kind of gives him his style and it makes it fun for him."

Miller bought the horse from Barbara Brooks.

"He's real quick," Miller said. "He's got all the talent in the world. He's got so much style about him. He really whips his head real fast and he tries to move real quick, which got him in trouble sometimes. But that's what gives him his style."

Reach Chris Gay at (706) 823-3645 or chris.gay@augustachronicle.com.

From the Friday, January 25, 2008 edition of the Augusta Chronicle