Florent Geroux | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Really Good Horse’ Hit The Road Ships East For Friday’s Maker’s Mark Mile

In 2013, in his second year of training on his own, Dan Blacker saddled four runners during Keeneland's Spring Meet.

“I didn't have the right horses then,” the 39-year-old Blacker said Thursday, the morning after he arrived here with what would qualify as a “right horse” in Hit the Road. The Grade 1 winner looms as one of the favorites for Friday's 33rd running of the $300,000 Maker's Mark Mile (G1).

Owned by the partnership of D K Racing, Radley Equine, Taste of Victory Stables, Rick Gold, Tony Maslowski and Dave Odmark, Hit the Road galloped on the main track Thursday.

A Keeneland sales graduate, Hit the Road brings a four-race win streak into the Maker's Mark Mile. That skein includes a victory in the Thunder Road (G3), which gave Blacker his first graded stakes triumph, and a narrow win in the Frank Kilroe Mile (G1) for Blacker's initial Grade 1 tally.

“He's a really good horse. He's a Grade 1 winner and there is not much better than that,” Blacker said.

The Maker's Mark Mile represents the first venture outside California for Hit the Road.

“A couple things I am looking for is to see how he handles the ship, and I am doing my anti-rain dance,” Blacker said. “I would prefer for it to be firm (turf) tomorrow.”

Heavy rain is forecast for Lexington beginning Thursday afternoon and going until midnight.

Blacker said Hit the Road likely would return to his home base at Santa Anita following Friday's race and he would not consider the $1 million Old Forester Turf Classic (G1) at 1 1/8 miles May 1 at Churchill Downs.

“My gut feeling is that he is a miler,” Blacker said. “Most likely we'd wait for the ($500,000) Shoemaker Mile (G1) on Memorial Day (May 25). If I did (run him) a mile and eighth, it would be at Santa Anita.”

Florent Geroux, who was aboard for the victory in the Kilroe, has the mount Friday.

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Arkansas Derby: Cox Instructs Geroux To Be ‘More Aggressive’ Early With Caddo River

Brad Cox already has two horses ticketed to the Kentucky Derby in unbeaten champion Essential Quality and Mandaloun. Whether the 2020 Eclipse Award-winning trainer has a third will depend on the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) Saturday at Oaklawn.

Cox will send out Caddo River in the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas Derby, which is Oaklawn's fourth and final Kentucky Derby points race. A homebred for John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs, Caddo River got off to a rousing start on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, registering a record-breaking 10 ¼-length front-running victory in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Jan. 22 at Oaklawn in his two-turn, stakes and 3-year-old debut.

But in the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles March 13 – Oaklawn's third Kentucky Derby points race – Concert Tour, from post 7, beat favored Caddo River to the lead going into the first turn, controlled the pace throughout and cruised home by 4 ¼ lengths to remain unbeaten in three career starts. It was Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's record-extending eighth Rebel victory. Caddo River, keen early following a rail draw, finished fifth, beaten 6 ¾ lengths, after chasing Concert Tour on the outside to the top of the stretch.

Caddo River will try to reignite his Kentucky Derby hopes in the Arkansas Derby, a race Anthony has won a record three times (1980 with Temperence Hill, 1987 with Demons Begone and 1992 with Pine Bluff).

“Post-wise, it's very similar, I guess, to last time,” Cox said Tuesday afternoon. “We'll see how things go. We're going to try and be a little bit more involved early – more aggressive, I think, if we can. That's really the tactics we're going to take into the race. We'll see if that works any different.”

The projected six-horse Arkansas Derby field from the rail out following Tuesday's post-position draw: Super Stock, Ricardo Santana Jr. to ride, 122 pounds; Caddo River, Florent Geroux, 122; Hozier, Martin Garcia, 118; Get Her Number, Francisco Arrieta, 122; Concert Tour, Joel Rosario, 122; and Last Samurai, Jon Court, 118.

Probable post time for the Arkansas Derby, which will be televised live by NBC Sports Network, is 6:41 p.m. (Central). It goes as the 12th of 13 races. First post Saturday is 12:02 p.m., with the infield open, weather permitting.

Caddo River has had two published workouts, both against stablemates, since the Rebel. He went a half-mile in :48 March 27 and 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 last Saturday. Caddo River's workmate last month, Joe Frazier, returned to win an entry-level allowance sprint for 3-year-olds last Saturday at Keeneland. Caddo River breezed last weekend with Night Ops, a multiple stakes-winning older horse.

“Not really anything other than what we've done in the past,” Cox said. “Just maintain fitness, really, I guess would be the thing. He's a good work horse. Probably more of a free-running horse. I kind of think we found that out last time. Florent kind of took ahold of him up the backside and that didn't really seem what he (Caddo River) wanted to do.”

The Arkansas Derby will offer 170 points to the top four finishers (100-40-20-10) toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby. The 1 ¼-mile race is limited to 20 starters, with starting preference given to the top 18 point earners in designated races like the Arkansas Derby. The top point earners on the European and Japan Road the Kentucky Derby will receive invitations.

Concert Tour earned 50 points for his Rebel victory and ranks No. 13 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard compiled by Churchill Downs. Stablemate and Rebel runner-up Hozier (20 points) is No. 26, Grade 1 winner Get Her Number (10) is No. 33, Caddo River (10) is No. 36 and Rebel fourth Super Stock (9) is No. 41. Get Her Number finished seventh in the Rebel.

Caddo River will need a strong showing Saturday, likely first or second, to join Essential Quality and Mandaloun in the Kentucky Derby starting gate for Cox May 1 at Churchill Downs.

“I don't think we want to run in the Derby unless we feel like we have a real shot,” said Cox, who has never had a Kentucky Derby starter. “Ultimately, that's going to be up to Mr. John Ed. On my end, I want to go into the Derby, if we're fortunate to have three horses, with three live shots, not what I feel like are two live shots right now and another horse just kind of getting in the way. I think the talent's there for him to be a Derby horse. He needs to show up and show that he can swim in the deep end of the pool on Saturday.”

Anthony, among the most successful owners in Oaklawn history, has had a resurgence in recent years. He has had six Kentucky Derby starters, the last coming in 1993 with Prairie Bayou, who finished second as the betting favorite. Anthony also had the favorite in 1987 with Demons Begone, who bled shortly after the start and didn't finish the race. Pine Bluff ran fifth in the 1992 Kentucky Derby. Both Prairie Bayou and Pine Bluff did win the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Cox won Oaklawn's second Kentucky Derby points race this year, the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 27, with Essential Quality, who earned an Eclipse Award as the country's champion 2-year-old male of 2020. Essential Quality remained unbeaten (5 for 5) in the $800,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G2) last Saturday at Keeneland. Mandaloun won the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds.

Essential Quality (140 points) and Mandaloun (52) rank No. 1 and No. 12, respectively, on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

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Sending Rombauer To Blue Grass ‘Was Primarily An ABB Decision: Avoid Bob Baffert’

John and Diane Fradkin's homebred Rombauer is back at Keeneland to run in Saturday's $800,000 Toyota Blue Grass (G2), marking his first start here since finishing fifth in the TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance in November. Between the two Keeneland races, the Twirling Candy colt won the Feb. 13 El Camino Real Derby (L) over the all-weather surface at Golden Gate Fields

“Our decision to run in the Blue Grass was primarily an ABB decision: avoid Bob Baffert,” John Fradkin said.

While he will evade the successful trainer in the Toyota Blue Grass, Rombauer faces a rematch with undefeated Essential Quality, who won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile en route to being named champion 2-year-old male. Essential Quality is the 3-5 morning line favorite, and Rombauer is 15-1.

“At the time we made the decision (to run in the Toyota Blue Grass),” Fradkin said, “we thought it would be a relatively short field, but others must have felt the same way as Hush of a Storm, Keepmeinmind and Untreated all became late additions to the field. It should be an interesting race. I think the race will be run somewhat like a European turf race. It will be all about acceleration in the stretch, and that's not a bad thing for Rombauer. Hopefully, (jockey) Florent Geroux can work out a good trip for us.”

Fradkin, who is retired as an institutional bond salesman for Citigroup, was in his late 20s when he learned to handicap while attending the races where he lived in Southern California. He acquired his first racehorse in 1993 when he claimed the 7-year-old Raise a Man gelding Ruff Hombre at Del Mar for $25,000.

Not long afterward, he and Diane attended the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and purchased a filly by Afleet for $10,500. Named Ultrafleet, she went on to produce Grade 1-winning millionaire and Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (L) winner California Flag and Grade 3 winner Cambiocorsa, who is the second dam of European champion Roaring Lion.

Ultrafleet is Rombauer's second dam.

“This family is so good that there really should be a stallion representing it going forward, and we are hoping that maybe Rombauer will someday take on that role,” Fradkin said.

The Fradkins live in Santa Ana, California, and have a small broodmare band in Kentucky. Rombauer was foaled at Machmer Hall in Paris, Kentucky, and as a youngster spent time at Ben Berger's Woodstock Farm in Lexington. For several months at Woodstock, he shared a paddock with Hot Rod Charlie, who was second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and won the March 20 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2).

“Rombauer was always a nice mover, and he's an intelligent, curious horse,” Fradkin said. “We had a lengthy memorable interaction with him in September of his yearling year in his paddock where he chose to play with us for a lot longer than most horses will do. I think he likes humans more than most horses. My wife says she thought he had the look of eagles that day.”

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Rombauer will start from post 5 in the Toyota Blue Grass. He is 15-1 in the morning line.

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Travel Column Avenges Loss To Clairiere With Dominating Performance In Fair Grounds Oaks

OXO Equine's Travel Column avenged her loss to Clairiere in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandria with a dominating performance in Saturday's Grade 2, $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks at Fair Grounds racetrack in New Orleans, La.

Ridden by Florent Geroux, the Brad Cox-trained 3-year-old daughter of Frosted was always prominent, tracking pacesetter Souper Sensation until cruising to the lead at the top of the stretch and drawing off impressively for the victory. She was timed in 1:42.75 for the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track and paid $6.20 as the favorite in the field of seven 3-year-old fillies. Moon Swag scratched.

Clairiere, bottled up early near the back of the field in the early going, was up late to finish second ahead of Souper Sensational, with Obligatory fourth.

The top four finishers earned 100-40-20-10 qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks, to be run at Churchill Downs on April 30.

The victory was the third in five starts for Travel Column, who broke her maiden at Churchill Downs last Sept. 4 and then finished third in the G1 Alcibiades at Keeneland before winning the G2 Golden Rod at Churchill Downs in her 2-year-old finale, edging Clairiere by a length. She lost the Rachel Alexandra to that rival last out but proved superior in the Fair Grounds Oaks.

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