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.

In Grade I races, Miller won the 1983 Sapling Stakes, 1984 Monmouth Handicap and the 1987 Hempstead Handicap. Apart from winning the 1982 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] His father, worked in horse racing as a trainer.^[2] Miller started his experience with horses at the age of five and became a thoroughbred rider at the age of fourteen.^[3] 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.^[4] When he was nineteen, Miller had already moved from Laurel to Jessup, Maryland and Columbia, Maryland.^[1]

Career[]

Apprentice jockey[]

In September 1980, Miller began his horse racing career in Laurel.^[5] As an apprentice jockey, Miller won his first race in November 1980.^[2] 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 .^[6]

Throughout the year, Miller won his 100th career race in July 1981.^[7] During a fall at Laurel in late November 1981, Miller experienced loss of consciousness while also injuring his shoulder and neck.^[8] A few days later, Miller resumed his racing career in early December 1981 following his accident.^[9] With 296 wins, Miller was the highest ranked apprentice jockey in 1981.^[10]

Journeyman jockey[]

On December 16, 1981, Miller became a journeyman jockey.^[5][11] By the end of 1981, Miller had received three separate suspensions during his racing career.^[12] Two of his suspensions occurred back-to-back in December 1981 after he was no longer an apprentice.^[13][5]

Between 1982 and 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.^[14][15] Other Grade III wins that Miller won more than once were the Woodlawn Stakes, Riggs Handicap and John B. Campbell Handicap.^[14] In Grade II races, Miller won the 1982 with Lady Dean.^[16][17]

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.^[14] 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.^[18] In other events, Miller was sixth at the 1983 Belmont Stakes and eleventh at the 1989 Kentucky Derby.^[19][20] At the 1989 Breeders' Cup Mile, Miller finished in tenth place.^[21][22]

Throughout his career, Miller primarily raced in Maryland while also competing in Kentucky, Arkansas and Delaware.^[23] 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.^[4] Overall, Miller received over $37 million of prize winnings and had 2,856 race wins.^[24]

Awards and honors[]

In 2012, Miller was named one of the top 175 athletes of Maryland by The Baltimore Sun.^[24]

References[]