Jockey Miller continues recovery, but remains hospitalized

Jockey Jenn Miller continues to recover nine days after a spill at Charles Town, but remained hospitalized Monday at the Winchester Medical Center in Virginia, according to her agent Roniel Gerardo.

Miller was aboard Green Time for trainer Wayne Potts in the second race Nov. 25 when her mount broke down just after crossing the finish line. Miller was thrown to the ground and then kicked in the face by a trailing horse.

Knocked out in the spill, Miller has a severe concussion and injuries to her mouth and jaw. According to trainer David Nunn, Miller's friend and mentor, she had bleeding in two spots on her brain, but one absorbed and the other did not increase in size.

“Her short-term memory is not good,” Nunn said. “She does not recall the accident or much of the last 10 days. Her long-term memory is okay.

“She has been walking the halls with help of the staff, but gets off balance if she does too much. I’m sure she’ll overcome this. There is nobody tougher than Jenn. She is a very determined person.”

Gerardo said Miller is expected to remain hospitalized for another week and then be transferred to a rehabilitation center near Laurel, Md., where she lives.

“Her speech is improving,” Gerardo said. “She gets confused, but that will get better. She told me all she wants to do is get back on horses.”

Miller, a 32-year-old native of Massachusetts, came to racing from a dressage background. Her first job at the racetrack was for Nunn. She then went on to gallop horses for Joe Sharp, for whom she rode her first race at Keeneland in October 2016.

Monday was the anniversary of Miller’s first career win aboard Exclusive Symphony for Nunn at Parx Racing. She has had a successful apprenticeship, winning 53 races from 448 mounts, with victories at nine tracks, including Laurel, Pimlico, Timonium, Penn National, Delaware, Monmouth, Suffolk, and Charles Town.

A GoFundMe page for Miller has raised more than $25,000 to help with her medical expenses in what figures to be a long recovery. A number of riders, including Jose Ortiz, Nik Juarez, and Golden Gate jockey William Antongeorgi, donated a percentage of their mount earnings last week to Miller.

Nunn matched the amount the riders donated, as did some of his owners.

The Jenn Miller GoFundMe page:

https://www.gofundme.com/jockey-jenn-miller-recovery-fund