Peter Miller taking a break from training; assistant Ruben Alvarado takes over
DEL MAR, Calif. – Peter Miller on Thursday night announced in a press release that he was stepping away from training. His longtime assistant Ruben Alvarado will take over the barn.
The move came two weeks after Storm Spun, an unraced maiden, suffered a fatal injury at the San Luis Rey Downs training center. According to the California Horse Racing Board’s website, he was the sixth Miller horse to perish at either San Luis Rey Downs or Santa Anita – both owned by 1/ST Racing – since last Dec. 27. Two fatalities were in races at Santa Anita, three were during training at San Luis Rey. The sixth was a horse listed as having hemorrhaged in training at San Luis Rey in February.
Miller is stepping away before the start of Santa Anita’s main winter meeting, which begins Dec. 26. He will race through the end of Del Mar’s current meeting, which closes Nov. 28.
In 2019, after Santa Anita suffered through a rash of fatalities, the Stronach Group – the precursor to 1/ST Racing – barred trainer Jerry Hollendorfer after he had a similar number of horses perish. At the time, Santa Anita had a management team that was running more races and cheaper races, there had been turnover regarding the track superintendent, and a wet winter made keeping the track uniform a challenging endeavor.
Since then, safety has become an even bigger priority with Southern California tracks and the California Horse Racing Board, and there has been a change in upper management at Santa Anita.
Rumors had persisted for days that something was afoot with Miller, who just last Sunday said he expected to have a presence at Oaklawn Park this winter. Officials at Santa Anita, Del Mar, and the CHRB all denied earlier this week that Miller was facing action by any of those entities. By stepping away, Miller avoids any potential action that could have been taken similar to what happened with Hollendorfer.
“I know that there may be some speculation related to this decision; however, I want to make it very clear that it is not a result of any regulatory action, secret agreement, or hidden agenda of any kind,” Miller said in his press release. “This is strictly a personal decision.”
Miller said the demands of the job have “taken a toll on my family and my health and I believe this decision is best for me, my family and our future.”
He is married and has two young sons.
Miller said he will act as an “advisor/racing manager” to Alvarado and his owners, and he will stay involved as an owner himself. Miller owns horses under the stable name Altamira Racing.
In his press release, Miller said he trusts his love for racing “will bring me back after this hiatus.”
Santa Anita’s winter-spring meeting ends June 19.
Miller lives in Encinitas, about 10 minutes from Del Mar, whose summer meet opens July 22. Miller has won nine training titles at Del Mar, five during the main summer meet, including earlier this year.
Miller, 55, owns five Breeders’ Cup wins, two with two-time Eclipse Award-winning sprinter Roy H. Entering Friday’s races, he had 1,332 career victories, including 108 this year. His barn has earned $6.7 million this year, marking the fifth straight year his runners earned at least $6 million.
Alvarado on Friday morning at Del Mar said he expects to have 25 horses at Santa Anita and another 55 at San Luis Rey Downs after being handed the reins from his boss.
Before working for Miller, Alvarado was employed by Old English Rancho, in particular the late trainer Don Warren.
Miller has always credited Alvarado with being instrumental in the development of the sprinter C Z Rocket, whom Alvarado oversaw at Santa Anita while Miller was based at San Luis Rey Downs. C Z Rocket most recently was seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He was second in that race last year, following 2020 victories in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship and Del Mar’s Pat O’Brien, both Grade 2 races.