Miller celebrates birthday with two wins including stakes race

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

San Luis Rey Training Center trainer Peter Miller celebrated his 55th birthday Oct. 2 with two wins in Santa Anita Park races including the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile Stakes.

"Very special birthday," Miller said.

The City of Hope Mile Stakes was the third race on Oct. 2. Mo Forza, who was ridden by Flavien Prat, took the lead in the stretch and won the one-mile turf race by half a length over second-place Smooth Like Strait.

"Mo ran like the champion he is," Miller said.

Mo Forza and Prat broke last among the five entries in the race for three-year-olds and upward. They were fourth after a quarter of a mile, trailing leader Smooth Like Strait by two lengths and third-place Order and Law by one length while leading fifth-place Hit the Road by half a length. Prat guided Mo Forza to the back, and half a mile into the race they trailed Hit the Road by a head and leader Red Storm Risen by 3 1/4 lengths.

With three-quarters of a mile elapsed Mo Forza and Prat were third. Smooth Like Strait regained the lead and was a head in front of Red Storm Risen and four lengths ahead of Mo Forza. Order and Law was in fourth, half a length behind Mo Forza.

Smooth Like Strait entered the stretch with a 1 1/2-length lead on Red Storm Risen and a 3 1/2-length advantage over Mo Forza. Hit the Road was in fourth, 1 1/2 lengths behind Mo Forza.

The Grade 2 Del Mar Mile stakes Aug. 21 at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club was the previous race for Mo Forza, Smooth Like Strait, and Hit the Road. In that race Smooth Like Strait also entered the stretch with a lead, Hit the Road was third at the beginning of the stretch, and Mo Forza was fourth half a length in back of Hit The Road and two lengths behind Smooth Like Strait. Mo Forza won that race by a head over Smooth Like Strait.

Hit the Road finished third in the City of Hope Mile Stakes, a head behind Smooth Like Strait. Mo Forza had a winning time of 1:32.45.

"Great ride by Flav," Miller said.

Mo Forza also won the 2020 Grade 2 City of Hope Mile Stakes. Miller then gave him a layoff, and the Del Mar Mile was Mo Forza's next race. The 2021 City of Hope Mile Stakes win was the fourth in a row for Mo Forza and his eighth in 14 career starts. Mo Forza, who was sired by Uncle Mo out of Inflamed and foaled in Kentucky on April 5, 2016, first raced at Santa Anita in June 2019 and finished third. His first win was at Santa Anita in September 2019 and also during the first weekend of the Santa Anita fall meet.

The $200,000 total purse for the City of Hope Stakes included $120,000 for first place. Mo Forza increased his career earnings to $1,034,460.

Miller won his first two starts on his birthday, as Commander finished first in the fifth race on Oct. 2. Prat also rode Commander, and they broke last among the seven horses and were sixth both a quarter of a mile into the 6 1/2-furlong turf race and after half a mile. They entered the stretch 1:12.31 into the race with the lead and were 1 1/2 lengths in front of second-place Fratelli. Commander crossed the finish line two lengths ahead of second-place Crew Dragon. Commander's winning time was 1:12.31, and first place paid $39,000. The win was the fifth in 19 career starts for Commander and his third in 12 starts for Miller, who began training him after a January 2020 claim at Santa Anita. Commander was foaled in France on March 23, 2017, and sired by War Command out of Dance Toupie.

Opening Weekend for the Santa Anita fall meet was Oct. 1-3, and Miller also won an Oct. 3 stakes race. Zero Tolerance won the 6 1/2-furlong Unzip Me Stakes for three-year-old fillies. Prat rode Zero Tolerance, who was foaled in Kentucky on Feb. 23, 2018, and sired by Mizzen Mast out of Torreadora. Zero Tolerance and Prat broke fifth among the seven entries in the turf race and were sixth both after a quarter of a mile and with half a mile elapsed. They entered the stretch second, half a length behind Carpe Fortuna, and finished a length in front of Carpe Fortuna. The winning time was 1:11.67. The stakes race debut for Zero Tolerance gave her two wins in three career starts, and the $48,600 first-place share of the purse gave her career earnings of $104,600.

San Luis Rey colt Mackinnon also won an Oct. 3 stakes race. The Zuma Beach Stakes was for 2-year-olds and was one mile on the turf. Mackinnon, who is trained by Doug O'Neill and was ridden by Juan Hernandez, took the lead in the stretch and had a winning time of 1:33.80. The margin of victory over second-place Silver Surfer was 2 1/4 lengths. Mackinnon is an American Pharoah foal whose dam is Scat Means Go, and he was foaled in Kentucky on April 13, 2019. He now has three wins in five career starts and career earnings of $237,860 including $120,000 from the Zuma Beach Stakes.