By Megan Johnson
Rodney Miller, from Howard Lake, Minnesota, began owning horses 25 years ago when trainer Dale Hagland presented him the opportunity to buy a thoroughbred. “I bought the horse thinking I could win a race.”
“I love the competitiveness that racing can have,” he said. “I print the forms off from every track I race at and keep track of the better horses. When you’re young and you play sports, it takes care of your competitiveness; this is how I take care of it as I get older.”
He currently has 12 horses in training that are trained by David McShane. He also has a yearling colt and a two-year-old filly at his home farm. This year Rodney split his stable and raced half of his horses at Prairie Meadows and the other half here at Canterbury Park. He has also raced in Chicago and will be going to Oaklawn this spring.
“One of my favorite memories of racing is when my three-year-old filly broke a track record running one mile on the turf,” he said.
When Rodney isn’t at the racetrack he stays busy running Miller Cattle Sales Inc with his oldest son. He also spends time supporting his 11 grandchildren by attending their sporting events. Rodney is a very prominent individual in many different communities. He has served one year on the MTA, two terms on the HBPA and was the commander of the legion in his hometown for nine years.
