Donald Miller Jr.

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]

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]

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