Miller anticipating a quieter Del Mar meet

Trainer Peter Miller had a career-best summer at Del Mar in 2018, winning the training title with 31 victories. He is not anticipating an encore at this summer’s meeting, which runs from Wednesday through Sept. 2.

Miller, 52, said on Thursday that he will have approximately 60 horses at Del Mar and the nearby San Luis Rey Downs training center and a division in Kentucky this summer.

“I’ve got a third of my horses in Kentucky,” Miller said. “I’m not going to be nearly as busy as I was last year. I don’t think we have a chance to be leading trainer. We’ll focus on trying to win some of the bigger races.”

Last summer, Miller won four stakes at Del Mar, notably the Green Flash Handicap with Stormy Liberal. Later in 2018, Stormy Liberal won the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs for the second consecutive year and was named champion turf male for the year.

Stormy Liberal, who worked three furlongs in 38.20 seconds at San Luis Rey Downs on Thursday, is scheduled to start in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs on turf on Aug. 17. Stormy Liberal was third in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai in March in his most recent start.

Jalen Journey, purchased for $510,000 at Tuesday’s Fasig-Tipton horses of racing age sale in Kentucky on behalf of Rockingham Ranch, is a candidate for the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs on July 27, along with Line Judge, who won the Kelly’s Landing Stakes at seven furlongs at Churchill Downs on June 29.

“They’ll pinch hit for Roy H,” Miller said.

Roy H, the champion sprinter of 2018, is not expected to start until the Santa Anita autumn meeting.

Jalen Journey, a 4-year-old gelding by With Distinction, finished second in the Grade 3 Smile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park in his stakes debut on June 29.

Miller has a group of 2-year-olds that will be ready to start early in the meeting, including the filly Mean Sophia, who was fourth in the Kentucky Juvenile Stakes against males at Churchill Downs on May 1. Mean Sophia, by Smarty Jones, was purchased for $90,000 at Monday’s Fasig-Tipton sale.

Mean Sophia won her debut in a maiden special weight race for fillies by 10 1/2 lengths at Keeneland in April.

“We’ve got some live horses the first week and hopefully we can win some races,” Miller said.