Miller pulls off rare 1-2-3 finish in Daytona Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Conquest Tsunami, Stormy Liberal, and Calculator gave trainer Peter Miller his first sweep of a trifecta in a stakes in Saturday’s Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at Santa Anita.

Miller, the leading trainer at the winter-spring meeting, achieved this rare milestone despite a tumultuous period in recent months for him.

Miller’s stable lost five horses in the wildfire that struck the San Luis Rey Downs training center in early December. Along with the rest of the San Luis Rey Downs-based stables, Miller relocated his horses to Del Mar for the winter.

Miller, 51, has led the standings or been tied for first since a three-win day Dec. 31, five days after the start of the meet. Conquest Tsunami gave him his fourth stakes win of the meeting. Through Sunday, Miller had 21 wins, three more than runner-up Bob Baffert.

“If this isn’t the most up and down profession in the world, I don’t know what is,” Miller said Sunday.

Conquest Tsunami, who races for Gary Barber, won his first graded stakes in the $150,690 Daytona, leading throughout about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course to beat Stormy Liberal by 2 1/2 lengths. Calculator, the 9-5 favorite, finished 3 3/4 lengths behind Conquest Tsunami in third.

Miller finished first, second, and fourth in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes here in January 2015 with Calculator, Rock Shandy, and St. Joe Bay. Last November at Del Mar, Stormy Liberal and Richard’s Boy gave Miller a sweep of the exacta in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.

“They were all three very live, but you never think it could happen,” Miller said of Saturday’s result. “It’s kind of like the Breeders’ Cup when they run 1-2.

“Anything can happen. I could hit the lottery. After yesterday, I may need some buy some tickets.”

Miller said Conquest Tsunami and Stormy Liberal are candidates for the $1 million Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan Racecourse on March 31 in Dubai.

“We’re going to see if we get invited to Dubai,” Miller said. “I think we could take two.”

Calculator bled slightly in the Daytona Stakes and will be given a rest, Miller said.

Miller trains Roy H, the champion sprinter of 2017, who is scheduled to start in the Grade 1 Triple Bend Stakes at seven furlongs March 10 as a prep for the $2 million Golden Shaheen Sprint on March 31 in Dubai.

The Miller-trained War Heroine, winner of the Sweet Life Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the hillside turf course Feb. 11, is a candidate for the $70,000 China Doll Stakes at a mile on turf March 10. War Heroine, owned by Barber, is nominated for Saturday’s Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes, but is unlikely to start in that race.

The $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes, for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles, is expected to be led by the undefeated Dream Tree and by Midnight Bisou, winner of the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes on Jan. 7. Dream Tree and Midnight Bisou were first and second in a maiden race here last October and in the Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar last November. The margin in each race was a nose.

Dream Tree won the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos in December and the Grade 2 Las Virgenes Stakes on Feb. 4 in her first start of 2018.