Month: May 2022

Trainer Peter Miller Set to Return at Churchill Downs

Peter Miller, who has not started a horse since Nov. 28, will make his return Sunday at Churchill Downs when he sends out Respect the Code (Honor Code) in the eighth race.

Miller announced last fall that he was taking a break from training, explaining in a press release that he wanted to “spend more time with his family, focus on overall health and wellness, and pursue other interests.” At the time, the bulk of his stable was moved over to his former assistant Ruben Alvarado.

In a text message, Miller, 55, explained that he chose to launch his comeback with Respect the Code because he wanted his first horse back to be owned by Gary Barber. “He's been my biggest supporter for over 15 years,” Miller wrote.

Miller went on to explain that Respect the Code is his only horse he has in Kentucky and that the bulk of his stable will be in Southern California. He said he is gearing up for the meets at Los Alamitos and Del Mar. The Los Alamitos meet begins June 22 and the Del Mar season begins July 13.

When asked via text if the horses that had been turned over to Alvarado will return to his stable, Miller wrote, “I hope so.”

Miller's status at Santa Anita remains unclear. By deadline for this story, Aidan Butler, the chief operating officer for 1/st Racing, which owns, Santa Anita, had not responded to a text asking whether or not Miller's entries would be accepted at the Arcadia, California track.

Miller's announcement that he was stepping away from training came shortly after a horse under his care died at the San Luis Rey training center. In 2021, five horses in his care suffered catastrophic injuries, the highest number of any single trainer in California this year. Though 1/st Racing did not publicly take any action against Miller, there was speculation that he was forced out. When announcing his hiatus, Miller said the decision was strictly his own.

“I know that there may be some speculation related to this decision; however, I want to make it very clear that it is not a result of any regulatory action, secret agreement or hidden agenda of any kind,” he said in the press release. “This is strictly a personal decision.”

Miller, who has won nine training titles at Del Mar, has 1,338 career wins.

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‘Your Guess Is As Good As Mine’: Australian Racecaller Makes The Best Of Foggy Conditions

Australian racecaller Ric McIntosh was dealt a difficult hand at Kilmore on Thursday when thick fog blanketed the track, reducing visibility to nearly zero, reports 7news.com.au.

“And they're off. And your guess is as good as mine what's happening,” McIntosh said on the broadcast.

He told 7news.com.au: “Never in 30-odd years of broadcasting have I had to do the whole meeting in the fog. It was tough with a capital T to be honest. Horses just appearing willy nilly out of the fog at the 100-metre mark, and I had no idea what the order was going to be!”

Check out the scene in the video clip below:

The post ‘Your Guess Is As Good As Mine’: Australian Racecaller Makes The Best Of Foggy Conditions appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Angel A. Rodriguez Looking To Build Off Fast Start At Monmouth Park

Even though jockey Angel A. Rodriguez had bounced around a half-dozen racetracks with moderate success since arriving in the United States from Panama in 2018, agent Steve Worsley saw something in the young rider.

So Worsley, who also has the book for popular veteran Jose C. Ferrer, offered his services to the 22-year-old in the final weeks of the Tampa Downs meet this spring.

“I'd seen him ride at Gulfstream in the past. I knew he had ability,” said Worsley. “I told him `I'd like to take your book at Tampa for the last six weeks and if you're interested I would love for you to come to Monmouth Park.'

“We won eight races the last six weeks at Tampa and now we're here (at Monmouth Park).”

And making an immediate impact.

Rodriguez heads into Monmouth Park's three-day holiday weekend of live racing starting Saturday with a suddenly-increased workload and still riding the momentum of his victory aboard The Critical Way in the Get Serious Stakes last Sunday.

“I feel good about my first summer at Monmouth Park,” Rodriguez said through a translator. “I have a lot of trainers giving me help and I'm working hard. I feel comfortable here.”

Rodriguez, a graduate of the Laffit Pincay Riding Academy in his hometown of Panama City, Panama, enters the weekend tied for third in the Monmouth Park rider standings with a 4-4-3 line from his 16 mounts so far.

The victory in the Get Serious Stakes was just his second stakes win in the United States, with Rodriguez having won the Unreachable Star Stakes at Indiana Grand (now Horseshoe Indianapolis) in 2018.

As a 17-year-old he won Panama's most prestigious race — Clasico Presidente de la Republica – on the way to being the country's leading apprentice.

That doesn't mean much in the United States, but Rodriguez is starting to earn some longer looks from trainers with his fast start.

“I just want to ride,” he said. “I don't care where I am in the standings. I want to ride in more stakes races and I want to have a good meet here.”

Winning that first stakes race at Monmouth Park is certainly a boost, but it's really just the beginning, Worsley said.

“Without a doubt it will help him,” he said. “Stakes races are the races everyone pays attention to and I've picked up some interest from good trainers because of it. He's also breezing for some good trainers now.

“But getting off to a good start at Monmouth Park doesn't mean you're going to ride for Chad Brown and those types of trainers right away. You have to keep winning races day in and day out and people will notice and that kind of business will follow.”

Rodriguez sees his fast start as just that – a start.

“Winning the stakes race gave me more confidence,” he said. “I know that with hard work come results. Of course I want to ride in more stakes races but I just want to have a good meet at Monmouth Park and see what happens from there,”

Monmouth Park's Memorial Day weekend will feature a $100,000 stakes race all three days, starting with Saturday's Cliff Hanger Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf. The Sunday feature is the 79th edition of the Jersey Derby at a mile on the turf, with the Miss Liberty Stakes at a mile and a sixteenth on the turf headlining the Monday program.

The Jersey Shore Food Truck Festival will mark its return over all three days, with Family Fun Days back on Saturdays and Sundays.

First race post time is 12:15 p.m.

The post Angel A. Rodriguez Looking To Build Off Fast Start At Monmouth Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Churchill Downs’ Jockey Colony Filled With French Talent

When jockey Julien Leparoux began riding at Churchill Downs in 2005, he and Brice Blanc were the only French-natives in the colony. Fast forward more than 16 years later and nearly 1,000 local wins for Leparoux, the jockey colony is flooded with French talent with the likes of Florent Geroux, Alex Achard and recent arrivals Vincent Cheminaud and Mickaelle Michel.

Leparoux, who entered Friday's card at Churchill Downs with 995 wins beneath the Twin Spires, started a wave of jockeys importing to the U.S. from France when he began working for trainer Patrick Biancone in 2003. Shortly after Leparoux found major success in the U.S., Geroux arrived with the help of Biancone. Since he started riding in 2007, Geroux has amassed more than $132 million in purse earnings and 1,911 wins.

Geroux and Cheminaud were on hand Thursday to watch Michel's state-side debut in Race 7 when she finished second aboard Good Measure for trainer Graham Motion. She was about 25 lengths in front of Leparoux who rode Scarabea.

“It's been a great start,” Michel said. “I've had help from a lot of people so far in America. I saw the success that a lot of French riders had in America and thought this would be a good move for my career.”

Michel has only been in the U.S. since May 12 but has already received support at the entry box from trainers Dallas Stewart and Jack Sisterson.

Meanwhile, Cheminaud has ridden in the U.S. twice before his full-time move earlier this year. He's most known for riding Juddmonte's Flintshire (GB) to victory in the 2015 Sword Dancer at Saratoga.

“This place is amazing. It's going to be really fun to ride here,” Cheminaud said of Churchill Downs when he first visited the track with Geroux in March.

The quartet of Cheminaud, Geroux, Leparoux and Michel all ride primarily at Churchill Downs and will be joined several days in the jocks room by Achard, who is a regular at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Overall, 14 riders have ridden this meet at Churchill Downs that are natives of European countries: Achard, Mickael Barzalona (born in France), Adam Beschizza (England), Declan Cannon (Ireland), Cheminaud, Geroux, Jack Gilligan (England), James Graham (Ireland), Christophe Lemaire (France), Leparoux, Michel, Flavian Prat (France), and Umberto Rispoli (Italy).

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