Trailer Park Trash sends out stylish winner
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Victory came easier for Gianna’s Gift on Thursday at Churchill than most wins came for her trainer, Jerome “Frank” Miller, during his previous career. Miller was a professional wrestler for more than 20 years before he retired in 2013 to focus solely on training.
Gianna’s Gift, a 6-year-old mare by The Factor with 35 career starts, earned a career-best 79 Beyer Speed Figure in dominating the $36,182 one-turn-mile starter-allowance from the opening bell. Jon Court was aboard for the six-length romp.
Miller, 49, began working out of the local Trackside training center in 2008 before stopping for a few years, resuming in 2015; he now has collected 23 wins. He was fondly known as “Trailer Park Trash” during a wrestling career in which he said he suffered 36 broken bones and numerous concussions.
Art Collector on road back
Art Collector, the 2020 Blue Grass Stakes and Ellis Park Derby winner, could make his 4-year-old debut late in the spring meet after having his first breeze last Saturday at Churchill, getting a half-mile in 48.20 seconds.
Trained by Tommy Drury for owner-breeder Bruce Lunsford, Art Collector earned triple-digit Beyers in three straight victories before finishing fourth as the second choice in the Preakness in October and eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in November. The Bernardini colt was given the winter off before easing back into training this spring at the Skylight training center.
Ellis around the bend
Racing secretary Dan Bork and other officials at Ellis Park were at the western Kentucky track this past week when making preparations for the 2021 meet, which begins June 27.
The stable area at Ellis, along with other tracks and training centers in this region, will be filled to a far greater capacity than normal this summer because horsemen who typically remain at Churchill are being asked to vacate the premises due to a $10 million turf-course renovation being undertaken shortly after the spring meet ends.