It's Miller Time at Santa Anita Park
Peter Miller will be a busy man on Saturday.
The 48-year-old trainer has horses entered in five races, including the Santa Ynez Stakes and the San Gabriel Stakes, each a Grade II event with $200,000 in guaranteed purse money.
Xoxo and Hennythelovepenny carry Miller’s hopes in the Santa Ynez, for 2-year-old fillies at 6 ½ furlongs, while Finnegans Wake goes for the gold in the San Gabriel for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on the grass.
“Xoxo has won two races, an allowance last out and a maiden,” Miller said of the Kentucky-bred daughter of the A.P. Indy stallion Majestic Warrior. “She’s doing super.”
Hennythelovepenny has not raced since the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 1, when she finished 12th and last after prompting the pace early on. Prior to that, she won a seven furlong maiden allowance race by 6 ½ lengths.
“They’re both doing really well,” Miller said. “I’m looking forward to running both of them. They both should run real well.”
Miller, who posted a mild upset when Serbian Syclone scored a front-running 2 ¼-length victory over favored The Gomper in Wednesday’s sixth race, also has horses entered Saturday in the first, fifth and sixth races.
Serbian Syclone covered six furlongs in 1:09.39. Miller said that he would be pointed to the Grade II, seven furlong San Vicente on Feb. 1 and possible meeting with Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red.
The field for the Santa Ynez, which goes as the seventh race: Seduire, Rafael Bejarano, 4-1; Callback, Martin Garcia, 4-1; Light the City, Elvis Trujillo, 3-1; Xoxo, Kent Desormeaux, 5-1; Hennythelovepenny, Fernando Perez, 20-1; Rattataptap, Edwin Maldonado, 5-1; Morning Coffee, Mario Gutierrez, 20-1; Conquest Harlanate, Mike Smith, 6-1; and Lady Lake, Tyler Baze, 5-1.
Finnegans Wake is coming off an impressive victory in the Grade II Hollywood Gold Cup at a mile and a half on grass at Del Mar Nov. 27. Previously trained by Dale Romans, Finnegans Wake has been with Miller for only the past three races, finishing second in the Grade II John Henry Turf Championship Sept. 28 before running 10th, beaten only 5 ¼ lengths, in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 1.
“My horse is very sharp, although the race may be a little short for him,” Miller said of the 6-year-old Kentucky-bred bay. “He prefers a mile and quarter-plus, but he’s in really good form and we expect him to run very well.”
The field for the San Gabriel, race eight of nine: Edge of Reality, Flavian Prat, 5-1; Big Bane Theory, Joe Talamo, 7-2; Dynamic Sky, Corey Nakatani, 7-2; Patrioticandproud, Drayden Van Dyke, 8-1; Persuasive Paul, Elvis Trujillo, 20-1; Finnegans Wake, Victor Espinoza, 9-2; Power Ped, Tyler Baze, 12-1; Skyring, Kieren Fallon, 12-1; and Tom’s Tribute, Mike Smith, 5-2.
Source: Santa Anita Park