Home advantage pays double for local trainer

Local knowledge was always likely to play a part at the first Breeders' Cup to be held at quirky Del Mar – and trainers don't come much more local than Peter Miller, who enjoyed the best day of his career with a stunning double on Saturday's card.

Without a winner from nine previous runners, Miller saddled a one-two in the $1 million Turf Sprint as 30-1 longshot Stormy Liberal (40-1 on industry SP) beat stablemate Richard's Boy by a head. Then, just three races later, Roy H ran down his rivals in deep stretch to win the Sprint on the dirt.

"This is amazing," said Miller, who is based at the San Luis Rey training centre north of Del Mar, where he is a four-time leading trainer, and lives just ten minutes away from the track in Encinitas.

"I feel like Chad Brown, you know, I feel like Bob Baffert, one of those guys," he added. "It's unbelievable. It's just a dream come true.

"You never think you're going to win a Breeders' Cup race – there are just too many good horses and too many things can happen. But anyone that asked me about my horses today, I said 'they're all live. Use them all.' And I meant it.

Stormy Liberal (centre) beats stablemate Richard's Boy (second right) in the Turf SprintCredit: Edward Whitaker

Miller, 51, started out as a groom for the legendary Charlie Whittingham after leaving high school. He now has more than 860 career victories to his name; his first Grade 1 winner Set Play came in 2007 – at Del Mar, of course.

Looking at the Turf Sprint one-two, he said: "To run in a Breeders' Cup race against Lady Aurelia, and some super good sprinters, I felt we needed the home-court advantage, which I think we had. I had two jockeys that know the course and two horses that know the course, and it turned out to work in our favour. To run one-two here for my first Breeders' Cup here at home is special."

Both of Miller's winners carried the colours of Rockingham Ranch, the stable name of principal client Gary Hartunian.