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Miller completes sweep of Del Mar training titles

Bonsall-based Peter Miller won three races during closing week of Del Mar's Fall Racing Festival to finish the 16-day season with 15 victories and complete a sweep of the 2018 training titles at seaside racetrack.

Miller, who took the conditioning title at the 36-day summer meeting by besting runner-up Doug O'Neill 31-21 in victories, topped Jerry Hollendorfer 15-9 in wins at the short fall session.

Miller reached the winner's circle with 15 of his 46 starters, which translates to an impressive 33 percent win rate. He also six seconds and five thirds, meaning his runners finished in the money 57 percent of the time.

Miller's title-winning campaign at the fall season featured a trio of memorable moments – he earned his 1,000th career training victory Nov. 16 (with Haydens Havoc in the third race), captured the $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes with Solid Wager Nov. 18, and had a four-win day Nov. 24 (scoring with Gray Magician, Acker, Damiano and Suspicious Spouse).

"It's always an honor to win any Del Mar titles," said Miller of his latest training crown. "It's not easy to do. We've got a great team and great owners and that's what it takes – and luck. The harder you work the luckier you get."

Miller closed the fall meeting by winning a race on each of the final three cards of the season.

Miller won the eighth race Nov. 30 with the 5-year-old gelding The Big Train, who romped home by 6 1/2 lengths in a one-mile claiming race ($25,000-$22,500). The 6-5 favorite ridden by Flavien Prat, The Big Train paid $5.40 after stopping the timer in 1:36.54.

The 3-year-old filly Sauce On Side won the sixth race Dec. 1 for Miller when she defeated Tiz Toffee in a photo finish. Ridden by Joel Rosario, Sauce On Side rallied from last in a field of eight to win the seven-furlong starter allowance race by a neck in 1:25.11. The second choice in the wagering, Sauce On Side paid $7.80.

Miller won the fourth race Dec. 2 with Go Ghetto, a 5-year-old gelding who took a one-mile race for claimers ($8,000-$7,000) by 2 3/4 lengths under apprentice jockey Heriberto Figueroa in 1:38.98. Miller and Fallbrook attorney Clay Sides (in partnership with Albert Rassel) had claimed Go Ghetto for $8,000 out of his previous race Nov. 17 and lost the horse to the claim box following his win on closing day. Go Ghetto earned $10,800 for the Dec. 2 victory.

"The horse ran big," said Miller of Go Ghetto. "We just claimed him two weeks ago, so we made a quick profit on the horse. We lost him, but the horse ran well."

Trainers Phil D'Amato and Adam Kitchingman both won races Nov. 29 with horses they had conditioned at the San Luis Rey Training Center in Bonsall.

D'Amato's 4-year-old filly S Y Sky, who finished a neck behind Moon Kitty in the first race, was awarded the victory in the five-furlong allowance/optional claiming race when the stewards disqualified Moon Kitty for bumping S Y Sky nearing the wire. S Y Sky, ridden by Joe Talamo, was a heavy favorite and paid $3.40 after collecting her fourth victory in seven starts.

Kitchingman's 5-year-old gelding Incensed won the third race, a five-furlong claiming race ($32,000-$28,000), at odds of 13-1 under jockey Evan Roman. Racing on a rain-dampened track labeled wet-fast, Incensed crossed the wire in :56.78 and returned $28.00.

 

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