Miller-trained Roy H earns Eclipse Awards as top male sprinter

Roy H, a horse that took his first lessons at the San Luis Rey Training Center in Bonsall under the tutelage of trainer Peter Miller, became Miller's first Eclipse Award winner Jan. 25 when he was named the best male sprinter of 2017.

Roy H arrived at San Luis Rey as a 2-year-old in 2014 and had his first official workout April 26, 2014, when he zipped an eighth of a mile in 12 seconds. Roy H would have six more workouts before he was sent to the sidelines with some "minor issues," according to Miller.

Roy H returned to San Luis Rey in December 2014 to prepare for his career debut, which he made April 30, 2015, at Santa Anita. The Kentucky-bred was entered in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden allowance race on Santa Anita's famed hillside turf course and the colt ran well, finishing second under jockey Tyler Baze.

Miller entered Roy H back in a similar race May 31, 2015, and his charge responded with a front-running victory. That win, however, would be Roy H's lone win as a 3-year-old as he went 0-for-5 the remainder of 2015.

Roy H made only four starts as a 4-year-old and failed to reach the winner's circle. Miller made the decision to geld Roy H in 2016 and the move worked wonders as the son of More than Ready turned into a win machine in 2017.

Roy H made his 5-year-old debut in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance race on the grass at Santa Anita April 8, 2017, and scored by 2 1/2 lengths under jockey Edwin Maldonado. Roy H raced on a wet-fast dirt track at Santa Anita in his next start May 6, 2017, and dominated his rivals, winning a 6 1/2-furlong sprint by 7 1/2 lengths.

The big victory prompted Miller to ship Roy H to New York for the six-furlong True North Stakes, a Grade 2 race run at Belmont Park June 9, 2017. Roy H charged from just off the pace to win the feature by 2 1/2 lengths.

Roy H was a victim of bad luck when he made his next start July 29, 2017, at Del Mar in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby. Roy H finished second in the six-furlong feature after being carried out six-wide entering the stretch by rival Drefong, who was running without a jockey after unseating jockey Mike Smith shortly after the start. Despite losing all the ground and being bothered by the loose horse, Roy H was beaten less than two lengths by winner Ransom the Moon.

Roy H put the Bing Crosby fiasco behind him and finished his 2017 season with impressive victories in the six-furlong Santa Anita Sprint Championship (Oct. 7) and the six-furlong Breeders' Cup Sprint (Nov. 4) at Del Mar. He scored by one length in both races and the Breeders' Cup tally locked up the Eclipse Award, which he won in a landslide.

Eclipse Award voters cast 241 first-place votes for Roy H as the best male sprinter of 2017. Imperial Hint, who finished second to Roy H in the Breeders' Cup Sprint, finished a distant second in Eclipse Award balloting with five first-place votes.

Roy H, owned in partnership by Rockingham Ranch (Gary Hartunian) and David Bernsen, earned $1,270,090 in 2017. Now age six, Roy H is currently training at Santa Anita for a 2018 campaign.