Miller addresses incident with former employee; 'truly sorry'

In a public statement issued Thursday, trainer Peter Miller said he’s “truly sorry” and has directly apologized to a former employee to which he on Sept. 11, 2017, subjected to what the California stewards deemed “aggressive/abusive behavior.”

Assigned a seven-day suspension to be served in April, Miller was also fined $2,500 and placed on probation through Oct. 31 of next year -- the full term of his current license -- for the incident at the San Luis Rey Downs training center, where he made derogatory statements about the woman’s unborn baby, per the stewards’ investigation.

The BloodHorse reported full details of the incident, which was witnessed by other horsemen.

Miller, who gained prominence last November by saddling two Breeders’ Cup winners, also must attend anger management education courses or is subject to losing his training license.

His statement in full:

“I would like to take a moment to address the news surrounding the recent (California Horse Racing Board) ruling and the events that precipitated it. First and most importantly, I recognize that my words during the disagreement with my former employee were completely out of line and hurtful.  For that I am truly sorry and apologized to her directly.

“Anyone who knows me knows that I am extremely passionate about the horse racing industry.  While that is no excuse, I allowed that passion to cloud my judgment. It is important for me to work on handling those emotions better and with more sensitivity, especially in times of disagreement. (No) matter what was done to me and my business, it is never appropriate to yell and scream at anyone.

“In closing, the last thing I want is for my actions to reflect poorly on the industry I love, or the owners who entrust me and my team with the care and training of their horses. Moving forward, I resolve to focus on a plan to better myself not only for my own benefit, but also for those that depend upon me."