Peter Miller Stable Tour

Peter Miller, a successful trainer on the Southern California circuit, has had a run of recent success in the Breeders’ Cup winning back-to-back runnings of the Sprint (2017-18) with Roy H and Turf Sprint (2017-18) with Stormy Liberal. In 2019, he won his third consecutive Turf Sprint with Belvoir Bay.

This year, Miller has four starters in the Breeders’ Cup. (A fifth, Commander, is five-deep on the also-eligible list for the Turf Sprint and unlikely to get in.)

TIME TO PARTY (Juvenile Turf Sprint): Gelded son of Kantharos was a second time out, front-running winner at Del Mar on September 2nd and then after a slow start, was a late-running second to One Timer in the Speakeasy Stakes at Santa Anita on October 1st.

Needed a defection to get into the field, but is a dangerous longshot at 15-1 under Flavien Prat.

“He broke his maiden here so that’s an edge,” Miller said. “He showed a new dimension last time coming from the off pace and was running at One Timer and I’ve got probably the hottest rider in the world. I’ve won three of the last four Turf Sprints so I’m not too shabby either.”

PROUD EMMA (Filly & Mare Sprint). This race has scratched down to a field of five but the two favorites, Gamine and Bella Sofia, as well as Edgeway, are all speed types.

Proud Emma, a closer, has a record of 2-2-0 from four starts at Del Mar including a runner-up finish to Edgeway in the Rancho Bernardo Handicap here in August.

“Just taking a shot, hope to hit the board, it’s a million-bucks short field, and again I’ve got Prat,” Miller said.

C Z ROCKET(Sprint): Runner-up in last year’s Sprint at 5-1, figures to be a bigger price this year, trying to chase home hot favourite Jackie’s Warrior.

When he was third, beaten a neck by Dr. Schivel in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby in July and was second to Ginboili in the Grade 2 Pat O’Brien in August, Miller felt Del Mar’s main track worked against his horse’s style. Miller believes in the autumn, with more moisture, Del Mar’s track tightens up and plays fairer.

“My hope is that it’s a fair racetrack and there’s plenty of speed,” Miller said. “I’d be thrilled to run second or third in here. It’s a big payday, he deserves it.”

Miller did say that rules which eliminated the use of race-day Lasix have worked against C Z Rocket.

“He’s a bleeder,” Miller said.

MO FORZA (Mile): He has scored repeat victories in the Del Mar Mile and City of Hope Mile and brings a four-race winning streak into the Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Mo Forza was forced to miss last year’s BC Mile due to recurring suspensory issues. He has only made the two starts this year, but Miller feels he’s improved with each run.

Miller said his wins this year “maybe are not quite as good as last year but I don’t think I trained on him as hard this year as I did last year, he said.

“I had him maybe 75, 80 percent for his first race and was hoping that would have kicked up to 90 percent for his second. Hopefully, we’re 100-percent from a fitness perspective. They say the third race off the layoff is supposed to be the best. I hope they’re right.”