Three-win day part of big week for Miller at Del Mar

Peter Miller enjoyed another big week at Del Mar with his horses based at the San Luis Rey Training Center in Bonsall, winning six races to extend his lead in the trainer standings.

Miller opened the fourth week of racing at Del Mar by winning the third race, Aug. 8, with the 2-year-old gelding Hartel, who proved the third start was the charm when he took a five-furlong maiden allowance race on the turf. Hartel, the 9-5 favorite ridden by leading jockey Flavien Prat, paid $5.60 after defeating Truck Salesman by 1 1/2 lengths in :56.71.

Miller started only one horse, Aug. 9, and watched his 3-year-old gelding So Long Sailor finish third in the first race. Miller then went 3-for-3, Aug. 10, as Stop the Violence, Wild Wild Kingdom and Angel Allessandra won races to give their coach a training hat trick.

Stop the Violence rambled to a 3 1/4-length victory under apprentice jockey Heriberto Figueroa in the second race, a five-furlong starter allowance dash on the turf. The even-money favorite, Stop the Violence paid $4.00 after crossing the wire in :56.12 in his turf debut. The Kentucky-bred earned his second victory in four starts.

Miller and Figueroa came right back to win the third race with Wild Wild Kingdom, who broke his maiden in his third try. Miller took the blinkers off Wild Wild Kingdom for the race and the gelding came from just off the pace to win the 5 1/2-furlong sprint for $20,000 maiden-claimers by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:05.24. Wild Wild Kingdom paid $13.80.

The 2-year-old filly Angel Alessandra, who finished fifth when she made her debut in a sprint on the main track at Del Mar, July 18, tried turf in the one-mile fifth race and found that she liked it. Ridden by Prat, Angel Alessandra closed strongly down the stretch and passed Hyde Park Corner in the final strides to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:37.87. A chestnut filly by Ghostzapper, Angel Alessandra paid $8.40.

Miller, who saw his 3-year-old gelding Memorable Election finish second in the first race, Aug. 11, won the second race that afternoon with the 4-year-old filly Red Shelby. Ridden by Figueroa, Red Shelby went straight to the lead and then just barely held on to win the five-furlong turf dash by a head over Dis Smart Cat and Holy Mosey in a three-horse photo finish. Red Shelby was timed in :56.95 and paid $8.60.

Miller finished the racing week by going 1-for-3, Aug. 12, when his 3-year-old filly Myrcella captured the sixth race under Figueroa. Myrcella battled for the lead with Palace Paynter throughout the six-furlong sprint and edged her rival by a neck in 1:12.82. Myrcella returned $6.40 after recording her sixth career victory.

Miller's impressive week helped him open up a seven-win lead in the Del Mar trainer standings. Through 20 days of racing at the 36-day summer session, Miller had 19 victories. Jerry Hollendorfer and Doug O'Neill were tied for second with 12 wins each.

Two other San Luis Rey-based horses – Secret Maneuver and Shadow Sphinx – won races during week No. 4 at Del Mar.

Secret Maneuver, trained by Keith Desormeaux and ridden by his brother, Kent Desormeaux, won the eighth race, Aug. 10. Making her career debut, Secret Maneuver rallied from fifth in a field of 10 to win a 5 1/2-furlong maiden claiming race by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:06.44. Secret Maneuver paid $10.40.

Richard Baltas trains Shadow Sphinx, a 3-year-old gelding who scored a game victory in the eighth race, Aug. 12. Receiving a strong ride from Prat, Shadow Sphinx edged 2-1 favorite East Rand by a half-length in the one-mile turf race for $50,000 claimers. Shadow Sphinx crossed the wire in 1:34.63 and paid $10.20 after registering his third win in nine starts.