Peter Miller and Michael Maker are primarily based 2,000 miles aside, in Southern California and Kentucky. Each should not solely a number of Breeders’ Cup-winning trainers, they’ve every gained with a former claimer and can strive to take action once more, this time in opposition to one another within the Nov. 6 Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Dash (G1) at Del Mar.
Miller has gained 5 Breeders’ Cups: two with Roy H , one with Belvoir Bay , and two with Stormy Liberal , the latter claimed for $40,000. The year after that claim, Stormy Liberal won the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) for Gary Hartunian’s Rockingham Ranch and repeated the next year with the same horse, whose ownership expanded to include David Bernsen. Stormy Liberal went on to win an Eclipse Award as the 2018 champion turf male.
For this year’s Sprint, Miller brings C Z Rocket , who finished second to Whitmore in the 2020 Sprint. Miller claimed C Z Rocket for $40,000 at Oaklawn Park for Tom Kagele simply six months earlier than final yr’s Breeders’ Cup.
Maker has gained three Breeders’ Cups: one every with Fire At Will , Hansen , and Furthest Land , the latter claimed for $35,000. A year after that claim, Furthest Land won the 2009 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) for Ken and Sarah Ramsey.
For this year’s Sprint, Maker brings Special Reserve . Maker claimed the 5-year-old son of Midshipman for $40,000 at Oaklawn Park Feb. 6 for Peter Proscia’s Paradise Farms and Dave Staudacher. Special Reserve earned a “Win and You’re In” berth to this year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint when he captured the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.
WATCH: Special Reserve Among Three for Maker in Breeders’ Cup
Nearly nobody claims a horse with the Breeders’ Cup in thoughts, and if both C Z Rocket or Particular Reserve succeeds within the Dash, that horse would be the first U.S.-claimed horse to win that race. Cardmania captured the 1993 Dash after being claimed earlier in his profession in France for about $20,000. Reraise, the 1998 winner, and Amazombie , the 2011 winner, each ran for $62,500 during their careers, with no takers.
Though Amazombie wasn’t claimed, his value at one point was far less than $62,500. As the story goes, trainer Bill Spawr was trying to buy another horse privately for $5,000, and because of a miscommunication, the seller threw in Amazombie too. Amazombie went on to earn nearly $2 million, and today he is one of the stars in retirement at Old Friends in Kentucky.
Miller, in the name of Altamira Racing Stable, and Kagele now own C Z Rocket in partnership with Madaket Stables and Gary Barber. Kagele had urged Miller to claim the son of City Zip . Since the claim, C Z Rocket has won four stakes and placed in five others, with total earnings of $1,491,641.
(L-R): Lanni Miller and Peter Miller at Del Mar
“He’s special,” said Miller. “‘C Z’s’ right up there amongst the best claims we’ve ever made.”
Miller gives Kagele credit for the claim.
“Tom picked him out, and I OK’d it,” Miller said. “He was off form at the time, but you could tell that he had run some very fast races as a 3-year-old. We knew he had the talent if we could just get him back to form.”
WATCH: Miller’s Breeders’ Cup Squad Let by C Z Rocket, Mo Forza
Kagele, who lives in Laverne, Calif., east of Santa Anita Park, first observed C Z Rocket when the colt got here out to Santa Anita for the 2017 Malibu Stakes (G1) after profitable his first three races, at Saratoga Race Course, Keeneland, and Churchill Downs. Huge into the flip of the seven-furlong Malibu, C Z Rocket ran sixth behind winner City of Light , who would go on to add the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
“I remember just taking a liking to C Z Rocket, and I started following him,” said Kagele. “He ran some very good numbers and had tailed off. What we liked most about him was his back class and who he had run against, some real tough horses.”
C Z Rocket, now a 7-year-old gelding, has proved he likes Del Mar, profitable the 2020 Pat O’Brien Stakes (G2) and inserting on this yr’s O’Brien and Bing Crosby Stakes (G1), all at that monitor. He additionally gained back-to-back stakes earlier this yr at Oaklawn Park, web site of Miller’s declare.
Two races earlier than C Z Rocket gained the March 13 Sizzling Springs Stakes at Oaklawn, Particular Reserve made his first begin for Maker after his Feb. 6 declare. The 2 geldings used very completely different ways of their respective victories. C Z Rocket got here from final to avenge his Breeders’ Cup loss by defeating Whitmore by a neck. Particular Reserve led all through to attain by two lengths in an allowance optionally available claimer. C Z Rocket accomplished six furlongs in 1:09.04, and Particular Reserve ran the identical distance in 1:09.39.
“We have been very fortunate to select Particular Reserve out,” mentioned Proscia. “It is a group effort. We do our homework and collaborate. We have a look at the numbers on the horses and the replays, and in the end Mike and his group check out them visually earlier than we declare the horses.”
Particular Reserve wins the Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland
Since Particular Reserve gained that first race off the declare, he has been first or second in 5 stakes at 4 completely different tracks. Along with the Phoenix, he scored within the Maryland Dash Match Sequence Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course and Iowa Dash Stakes at Prairie Meadows, and he completed second within the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) at Saratoga and Commonwealth Stakes (G3) at Keeneland.
“He is been an ideal horse—a coronary heart of gold,” mentioned Maker. “Considered one of his finest belongings is how properly he leaves the gate.”
Maker and Miller did not have any illusions about getting a Breeders’ Cup hopeful once they made their respective claims.
“With the profitable purses over at Oaklawn, it made sense,” mentioned Maker. “We may declare him for $40,000, and in a worse-case state of affairs we may run again in the identical race for the allowance situations. Happily, it labored out. He gained that race, and the remainder is historical past.”
Within the case of C Z Rocket, Miller truly saved Kagele $60,000 as a result of Kagele had initially urged Miller to assert the gelding one begin earlier than at $100,000. Miller did not suppose C Z Rocket would win that race and informed Kagele that he thought they might have a chance to assert him cheaper. Miller was proper, and so they dropped within the declare when C Z Rocket ran subsequent outing for $40,000.
Each horses have bled prior to now, and Maker and Miller mentioned that managing the bleeding points has helped as properly.
C Z Rocket final yr was Kagele’s first Breeders’ Cup starter, although Madaket and Barber have each had winners in different partnerships. Kagele additionally owns Miller-trained Proud Emma with Gem, and that mare is entered in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). Kagele’s earlier runners include 2004 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) winner Southern Image , owned in partnership.
Special Reserve will be Proscia’s first Breeders’ Cup starter. Proscia and Staudacher, with other partners, earlier raced Aquaphobia , who won the 2020 United Nations Stakes (G1T) under Maker’s tutelage.
Mike Maker at Gulfstream Park
Multiple grade 1 winner Jackie’s Warrior is the 6-5 morning-line favorite in this year’s Sprint, and 4-1 second-choice Dr. Schivel is undefeated in three starts over the Del Mar main track. Special Reserve, to be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., is listed as a 6-1 co-third choice, with Following Sea also at 6-1, while C Z Rocket, with Florent Geroux aboard, is at 12-1 in the field of nine.
“I think we have a legitimate chance here,” said Proscia. “I think the jock that we have is obviously one of the top in the country. We’re the underdog, and I like to be the underdog.”
Miller likes his chances also.
“He’s doing really well,” the trainer said. “He’s really sharp and feeling good. He likes this track. So we’re cautiously optimistic.”
Additional reporting by Byron King.
