Miller Resumes Training, Has Entry May 29 at Churchill

Peter Miller, who announced last fall that he was taking a hiatus from training, has an entry as a trainer for the first time since November in the eighth race at Churchill Downs May 29. The Southern California-based Miller has Gary Barber's Respect the Code in the eighth race Sunday, a $127,000 allowance race. Respect the Code has been working at San Luis Rey Training Center, Miller's longtime base before he stepped away from training. After his hiatus began last fall, others began overseeing his stable's horses, though Miller maintained involvement and a stable presence as a racing manager/owner's liaison and owning horses himself. His assistant, Ruben Alvarado, began training many of his runners, while other runners were transferred to other trainers. Miller said May 27 that after his upcoming entry at Churchill Downs, he will resume training and racing horses in California, gearing up for the Los Alamitos Race Course summer meet before racing moves to Del Mar. He expects to have about 80 horses, while Alvarado again becomes his assistant. Miller, 55, said he stepped away for personal reasons. "I was exhausted, mentally and physically," he said. He declined to comment on further considerations why he took a break. On Nov. 18, when he issued a statement announcing his hiatus, he ranked 14th in North America by 2021 earnings. According to a California Horse Racing Board spokesman, Miller is eligible to race and enter horses anywhere.