Miller, savoring third BC Turf Sprint win, already has eye on a fourth

ARCADIA, Calif. – Trainer Peter Miller had a sore throat Sunday morning, mostly the result of all the screaming he did during the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint the previous afternoon at Santa Anita.

“I’m great otherwise,” Miller said by phone from his home in Encinitas.

Miller once again dominated the Grade 1, $1 million Turf Sprint, sweeping the exacta for the second time in three runnings while winning it for the third time in a row. Belvoir Bay led all the way under Javier Castellano in prevailing by 1 1/4 lengths over her stablemate, Om, while Stormy Liberal, the 2017 and 2018 winner, gave game chase behind them both before fading late to finish eighth.

Belvoir Bay made for one of the great stories of the 2019 Breeders’ Cup as a survivor of the San Luis Rey Downs fire of December 2017. Owned by Gary Barber, the British-bred 6-year-old mare will add another chapter Tuesday when going through the sales ring as Hip 96 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in Kentucky.

“If she doesn’t bring her reserve, I’d be happy to have a stall ready to welcome her back,” said Miller.

Belvoir Bay earned a career-high 107 Beyer Speed Figure with her 12th victory from 28 starts. Her winning time of 54.83 seconds was the fastest for the four times the Turf Sprint has been run at five furlongs (it has been run at a different distance the other eight times).

Plans for Om, a 7-year-old horse, and Stormy Liberal, a 7-year-old gelding, are indefinite, said Miller.

“I’d think Dubai in March would be an option for either of them, although we’ve got to talk about whether it’s time to retire Stormy Liberal, as much as he’s done for us,” said Miller.

Stormy Liberal, who edged stablemate Richard’s Boy in the 2017 running and earned a 119 Beyer in his win last year, now has earned $2,212,580 from 37 starts.

“Om, being a stallion, we’ll have to see what offers are out there and whether or not it makes sense to maybe run one more year,” said Miller. “Both he and Stormy Liberal came out of the race just fine, too.”

Miller took a rare morning off from his duties at San Luis Rey to savor his great day. He also won the Twilight Derby with Mo Forza.

“I feel incredibly blessed, with the great owners and the best staff on the West Coast,” he said. “I couldn’t be prouder of the horses and people involved,” adding he would like to have a strong hand again next year when the Turf Sprint is run at Keeneland.

“Let’s go for four,” he said.