Peter Miller | Horse Racing Free Tips

Graded Stakes Winner Multiplier Euthanized After Injuries Sustained In Tokyo City Cup

A Grade 3 winner with graded stakes placings on both dirt and turf, 7-year-old Multiplier had to be euthanized Monday due to injuries he sustained in the Sunday's G3 Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita Park. According to the LA Times, the son of The Factor was at the rear of the five-horse field when appearing to struggle around the far turn, and was pulled up by jockey Ruben Fuentes. Diagnostics showed fractures in his right front ankle, which were later revealed to be worse than originally thought.

Multiplier's biggest win came for Brendan Walsh in the G3 Illinois Derby in 2017. After running off the board in both the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, Multiplier was moved to the West Coast with trainer Peter Miller. He finished third in the G2 Del Mar Handicap (turf) in 2018 and second in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap (dirt) in 2020.

Dropped in for a $50,000 tag in February of 2021, Multiplier was claimed by trainer Andrew Lerner on behalf of Biggleague Racing, LLC. The Tokyo City Cup was the gelding's third start off the claim.

Overall, Multiplier ran out a record of 4-6-4 from 37 career starts, earning just shy of $600,000 on the track.

Multiplier is the eighth racing or training death at Santa Anita since the racing season began Dec. 26, and the third during racing on the dirt course.

Steve Asmussen Talks ‘Family Horse’ Super Stock On Writers’ Room

One of the few major races left to win for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen is the most significant prize in racing, so a win in this year's GI Kentucky Derby would satisfy an ultimate career goal. But if he were to do it with Saturday's GI Arkansas Derby victor Super Stock (Dialed In), a horse with the Asmussen family's fingerprints all over him, it would represent the sentimental success of a lifetime. Wednesday, Asmussen joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland to discuss Super Stock, the permanent chip on his shoulder, who he would pick between some of his legendary trainees head to head and more.

Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Asmussen talked about his emotional connection to Super Stock, who is co-owned by his father and was ridden to victory by his oldest son for his first stakes win last summer.

“We've been very fortunate in racing, had many successes, but a circumstance in which you can leg your son up on a stakes winner for your parents is quite unique, to say the least, and is a very special experience,” he said. “I have so many emotions about it. You imagine having that kind of success going into a race, but I did not realize what it actually meant, and the outpouring of love, respect and support since the [Arkansas Derby] for my parents and who they are has been the best part for me. This is my mom and dad's story. They supported us unwaveringly and put me and Cash in the positions we've been in to have success in this business. They're both 79 years old and unique circumstances allowed them to keep this horse. Dad has had Grade I winners in the past, he's just sold them all. That probably would have happened with this horse as well if not for the pandemic. It's brought mom and dad to the forefront and gotten them the respect and admiration that I know they deserve.”

Asked how it would change his life to win a Derby after coming up empty with his first 21 starters, Asmussen said, “I don't know yet, but I'd hate to lose this chip on my shoulder, lose the edge. The next horse that you run is the most important horse. Our motto around here is, 'Everything matters or nothing matters.' So don't lose that chip. We've got to keep it in front of us. We get tremendous opportunities and we respect them and want to make the most of them. Whenever Super Stock won, it was meant to be, so that's what we're looking for going into the Derby. It'll happen, if it's meant to be.”

Elsewhere on the show, the writers reacted to the weekend's big races and handicapped all five participants' chances to win the Writers' Room Derby Chase fantasy 3-year-old contest. In the West Point Thoroughbreds news segment, they lamented yet another slap-on-the-wrist fine for a trainer with a drug positive and lauded Indiana Grand's decision to broadcast video explanations for all of its steward decisions. And, in welcoming new sponsor the Minnesota Racehorse Engagement Project, they talked about TDN's most-read story of the week, which featured trainer Joe Orseno railing against the Lasix ban in stakes races. Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version.

The post Steve Asmussen Talks ‘Family Horse’ Super Stock On Writers’ Room appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Miller Fined $500 for Class 4 Positive

Trainer Peter Miller, currently third in wins and fourth in earnings at Santa Anita Park, has been fined $500 for a Class 4 finding of isoflupredone that was confirmed via split-sample testing when his trainee, Hembree (Proud Citizen), won the GII Joe Hernandez S. at 5-1 odds Jan. 1.

Isoflupredone is an injectable steroid primarily administered for anti-inflammatory effects. The drug's 4C categorization is on the less-severe side of the scale of the Uniform Classification Guidelines for Foreign Substances list published by the Association of Racing Commissioners International.

According to the California Horse Racing Board rule book, a trainer's first violation within a 365-day period for a Category C drug violation can result in a minimum fine of $500 to a maximum fine of $1,000 (absent mitigating circumstances).

In April 2017, Miller was previously fined $1,000 by the CHRB for an isoflupredone overage.

No disqualification or purse redistribution was listed within the ruling text on the CHRB website.

Hembree, owned by Tom Kagele, subsequently raced Feb. 6 when fifth in the GIII Thunder Road S. at Santa Anita.

It was not immediately clear at deadline for this story if Miller was appealing the fine. The stewards' ruling was dated Apr. 10.

The post Miller Fined $500 for Class 4 Positive appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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C Z Rocket Gets The Best Of Whitmore Again In Count Fleet Sprint Handicap

Winning for the seventh time in eight races since being claimed for $40,000 last April, the 7-year-old City Zip gelding C Z Rocket defeated sprint champion Whitmore for the second time in a row on Saturday, taking the Grade 3, $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap by two lengths at Oaklawn in Hot Springs, Ark.

Ridden by Florent Geroux and trained by Peter Miller, C Z Rocket sped six furlongs in 1:09.62 on a fast track and paid $6 to win as the second choice in the wagering. He carried 122 pounds, one less than Whitmore, the 123-pound highweight.

Even-money favorite and local hero Whitmore, an 8-year-old by Pleasantly Perfect trained by Hot Springs resident Ron Moquett, finished second. Empire of Gold was third, another 1 1/2 lengths back, with Strike Power fourth, Mojo Man fifth, Mr. Jagermeister sixth and pacesetter No Parole last in the field of seven older runners.

The victory was the 11th in 25 career starts for C Z Rocket, who was bred in Florida by Farm III Enterprises LLC and sold for $800,000 to Frank Fletcher Racing Operations at the OBS June Sale of 2-year-olds in training in 2016.

C Z Rocket won his first three starts as a 3-year-old when racing for Fletcher and trainer Al Stall Jr. but was claimed from an April 30 race at Oaklawn that would be his 11th consecutive defeat. The City Zip gelding turned around quickly for Miller, winning a $50,000 claiming race at Churchill Downs, two allowance/optional claiming races and then scoring in the G2 Pat O'Brien Stakes at Del Mar for his first graded stakes triumph. He then won the G2 Santa Anita Sprint Championship but was defeated by Whitmore when second in the G1 Breeders' Cup Sprint at Keeneland. C Z Rocket turned the tables on Whitmore last out in the Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn, then doubled down with his Count Fleet victory.

C Z Rocket races for Madaket Stables LLC, Gary Barber and Tom Kagele.

In the Count Fleet, C Z Rocket broke well but was eased back off the pace in sixth as No Parole went quickly early, going :21.92 for the opening quarter and :45.35 for the half. Whitmore raced close to the front-runner down the backstretch and into the far turn and found a seam on the inside as the field hit the stretch.

Geroux swung C Z Rocket five wide at the top of the stretch and he quickly overtook the front-runners, winning with relative ease under a hand ride late from his jockey after passing the furlong pole in :57.53 for five furlongs.

The post C Z Rocket Gets The Best Of Whitmore Again In Count Fleet Sprint Handicap appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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