Donald Miller Jr.

Donald "Donnie" Andrew Miller Jr. (born June 11, 1963) is a retired thoroughbred horse racing jockey who competed from the 1980s to mid 1990s. Miller started racing in the early 1980s and had the most wins as an apprentice jockey in 1981. As a jockey, Miller won twenty three graded stakes races from 1982 to 1992. Of his wins, Miller won the 1983 Preakness Stakes with Deputed Testamony as part of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.

Donald Miller Jr.
Full nameDonald Andrew Miller Jr.
NicknameDonnie
OccupationJockey
Born (1963-06-11) 11 June 1963
Laurel, Maryland
NationalityAmerican
Career winningsUS$37,000,000+
Career wins2,856
Major racing wins
Distaff Handicap (1982)
Barbara Fritchie Handicap (1982, 1984, 1985)
Longfellow Handicap (1982)
Long Look Handicap (1982)
Sapling Stakes (1983)
Gallorette Handicap (1984)
Monmouth Handicap (1984)
Woodlawn Stakes (1985, 1988)
Anne Arundel Handicap (1985)
Chrysanthemum Handicap (1986)
Betsy Ross Handicap (1987)
Riggs Handicap (1987, 1988)
Hempstead Handicap (1987)
Baltimore Budweiser Breeders' Cup Handicap (1988)
John B. Campbell Handicap (1989, 1990)
Ak-Sar-Ben Oaks (1982)

American Classics:
Preakness Stakes (1983)

In Grade I races, Miller won the 1983 Sapling Stakes, 1984 Monmouth Handicap and the 1987 Hempstead Handicap. Apart from winning the 1982 Long Look Handicap as his sole Grade II win, Miller won the Barbara Fritchie Handicap four times during his eighteen wins as a Grade III racer. After retiring from horse racing in September 1996, Miller had received over US$37 million in prize winnings and had 2,856 race wins. In 2012, The Baltimore Sun named Miller as one of the top 125 athletes of Maryland.

Early life

On June 11, 1963, Miller was born outside of Laurel, Maryland.[1] Miller started his experience with horses at the age of five and became a thoroughbred rider at the age of fourteen.[2] While growing up with a hearing disability, Miller became partially deaf in one ear and fully deaf in the other ear by the age of sixteen.[3] When he was nineteen, Miller had already moved from Laurel to Jessup, Maryland and Columbia, Maryland.[1]

Career

In 1980, Miller began his horse racing career in Laurel.[2] As an apprentice jockey, Miller won his first race in November 1980.[4] In 1981, Miller appeared in his first graded stakes races held as Grade III handicaps. His best performance in graded races that year was a second place finish at the Marylander Handicap.[5] Miller ended his apprenticeship in December 1981 and became a journeyman jockey.[6][7] With 296 wins, Miller was the highest ranked apprentice jockey in 1981.[8]

Between 1982 to 1992, Miller won eighteen Grade III races, one Grade II race and four Grade I races. For his Grade III wins, Miller won the Barbara Fritchie Handicap four times, including both of the races held in the 1984 edition.[9][10] Other Grade III wins that Miller won more than once were the Woodlawn Stakes, Riggs Handicap and John B. Campbell Handicap.[9] In Grade II races, Miller won the 1982 Long Look Handicap with Lady Dean.[11][12]

As a Grade I racer, Miller's first win was with Smart n Slick at the 1983 Sapling Stakes. He also won the 1984 Monmouth Handicap with Believe the Queen and the 1987 Hempstead Handicap with Catatonic.[9] In the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, Miller won the 1983 Preakness Stakes with Deputed Testamony. At subsequent Preakness editions on different horses, Miller was tenth in 1984, fourth in 1985 and fifth in 1986.[13] In other events, Miller was sixth at the 1983 Belmont Stakes and eleventh at the 1989 Kentucky Derby.[14][15] At the 1989 Breeders' Cup Mile, Miller finished in tenth place.[16][17]

Throughout his career, Miller primarily raced in Maryland while also competing in Kentucky, Arkansas and Delaware.[18] In June 1996, Miller lost all of his hearing in a horse racing accident. After his hearing was partially restored, Miller retired in September 1996 to prevent himself from losing all of his hearing for good.[19] Overall, Miller received over $37 million of prize winnings and had 2,856 race wins.[20]

Awards and honors

In 2012, Miller was named one of the top 175 athletes of Maryland by The Baltimore Sun.[20]

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gollark: I write it ironically only.
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gollark: That one. Anyway, it seems to return -1, troublingly.

References
  1. Maisel, Bob (May 28, 1983). "Donnie Miller plays his biggest win low-key". Baltimore Sun. p. B1.
  2. Beyer, Andrew (July 8, 1982). "Miller's Aim: No. 1 at 19". Washington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  3. Keyser, Tom (September 22, 1996). "Ear ailment sends Miller into retirement at age 33". Baltimore Sun. p. 19c.
  4. "Apprentice Miller is riding high". Evening Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. July 23, 1981. p. B6.
  5. "Donald Andrew Miller, Jr,". Equibase. 1981. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  6. Peddicrod, Ross (December 16, 1981). "Success hasn't altered lifestyle for racing's newest hero". The Evening Sun. Baltimore, Maryland. p. E5.
  7. Austin, Dale (December 27, 1981). "Passmore's return nets three Laurel winners". The Baltimore Sun. p. C14.
  8. Katzman, Izzy (July 17, 1982). "Miller has a chance to be nation's leading race driver". The News-Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. p. B5.
  9. "Donald Andrew Miller, Jr. Graded Stakes Wins". Equibase. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  10. Jackson, James H. (March 4, 1984). "Pleasure Cay wins; Bara Lass also clicks". Baltimore Sun. p. B19.
  11. "Lady Dean surprises in Long Look". Daily Record. Morristown, New Jersey. November 27, 1982. p. 54.
  12. "Long Look Stakes". Equibase. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
  13. "Preakness Media Guide 2019" (PDF) (Press release). p. P-60. Retrieved August 14, 2020.
  14. Austin, Dale (June 12, 1983). "Maryland-bred Caveat wins Belmont". Baltimore Sun. p. C1.
  15. "Kentucky Derby Chart". The Palm Beach Post. May 7, 1989. p. 6C.
  16. "Breeders' Cup Posts". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. November 4, 1989. sec. 3 p. 14.
  17. "Donald Andrew Miller, Jr". Equibase. 1989. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  18. Ireland, Jack (April 11, 1996). "Miller ready and waiting for DelPark to open". The News Journal. p. C2.
  19. Keyser, Tom (September 22, 1996). "Ear ailment sends Miller into retirement at age 33". Baltimore Sun. p. 19c.
  20. "The Top 175". The Baltimore Sun. May 17, 2012. p. 7.
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