Miller fined $5,000 for phenylbutazone positive
Trainer Peter Miller was fined $5,000 by Los Alamitos stewards on Sunday after one of his runners tested positive for the prohibited analgesic phenylbutazone during a workout at the San Luis Rey Downs training center in September.
The positive was found in a post-workout sample taken from Mr. Dougie Fresh, and was Miller’s third infraction for a prohibited drug substance in the last year.
Phenylbutazone, commonly known as bute, cannot be administered in advance of a race or workout following rule changes enacted by the California Horse Racing Board in 2020.
Miller stopped training in late November, relinquishing day-to-day management of his prominent stable to longtime assistant Ruben Alvarado. Miller, 55, cited a desire to spend more time with family and burnout from decades of involvement as the reasons.