Father-Son Duo Wins on Consecutive Days at Churchill

Trainer Darrin Miller and jockey Chase Miller are not new to Thoroughbred racing. Between them, they have more than 2,000 starts (Darrin has the lion's share at 1,791).

But no matter how many starts are listed on their respective resumes, any time this father-son duo can win together is pretty special. Winning on consecutive days at Churchill Downs makes it even more so. 

"For one, to be able to watch your kids do what they really want to do or really enjoy doing and have a little success with it," Darrin Miller said of his jockey son. "You can't really up that. You can't do anything more than that. But then the other benefit is, your communication is great. So that helps in life in general, and then you have a lot of confidence and security knowing that you kind of got each other's back."

Running in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden claimer, the first race of the day Nov. 19 under the Twin Spires, Loot the Moon , out of the Smart Strike mare Done in Love, broke his maiden on his ninth asking. Chase Miller led all the way under the 8-1 shot, who hadn't run since he finished sixth Feb. 11 at Turfway Park.   

It was a long journey to get there for Loot the Moon, which made the success sweeter.

Loot the Moon, a 4-year-old colt by Dialed In  , is a Silverton Hill homebred.

"He's a very immature horse and had some soundness issues with him early on," Darrin Miller said. "That sort of took a while and took us a long time after his last start, kind of getting back to where he was doing really, really well. And so I think he'll have a good year next year because I think everything is going in the right direction for him. Even on top of that, I think his last few months of training had been very forward, so that's been good."

Then on Nov. 20, in the third race of the day—a $30,000 claimer at 7 furlongs—the Millers won with Take the Charge , a 2-year-old colt out of Suee's Here, by Dehere, the 1993 Champion 2-year-old colt. Take the Charge was claimed by Eddie Kenneally and Barry Schumer.

"I really liked this horse. I'm very fond of him," Miller said. "That family takes a while to mature. I think he's got everything to make a racehorse. I'm just really fond of him.

"Fortunately, you know, I have the family. So it's kind of good that he goes on and does well. I think he's gonna have a great 3-year-old year, and probably, if everything holds together, I don't see why it wouldn't go on from there."

Bred by Dr. T.A. Morrison and owned by Lindiwe, Take the Charge is a son of Will Take Charge  . The sire was named 2013 Champion 3-Year-Old colt and finished second in that year's Breeders' Cup Classic.