Florent Geroux | Horse Racing Free Tips

Travel Column Circles Field, Overcomes Trouble To Win Golden Rod Stakes

OXO Equine's Travel Column made an impressive run to avoid trouble at the eighth pole in winning Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The 2-year-old daughter from the first crop of Frosted was last early and passed all eight of her rivals to win by a length, stopping the clock in 1:43.98 for 1 1/16 miles over the fast main track. Trained by Brad Cox, the filly was ridden to victory at odds of 5-1 by jockey Florent Geroux.

The win earned Travel Column 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

Last early after being crowded and pushed back at the start, Travel Column stayed wide near the rear of the pack during the early running. Longshot Farsighted lead the way through fractions of :23.77 and :48.21, tracked by the favorite Simply Ravishing.

Simply Ravishing, the G1 Alcibiades winner, grabbed the lead around the turn but couldn't hold on, and was headed by Clairere at the three-sixteenths pole. Meanwhile, Travel Column went wide to range into contention but still had five lengths to make up at the head of the lane.

Near the inside, Travel Column had to shift out four-wide at the eighth pole for clear running room, and was able to run down her foes in the final sixteenth of a mile. Beaten a length in second was Clairere, and the previously undefeated Coach finished third. Favorite Simply Ravishing was fourth.

Bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. Bayne Welker Jr. and Denali Stud, Travel Column was an $850,000 yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select sale. Out of the multiple stakes-winning Victory Gallop mare Swingit, the filly is a half-sister to $2 million-earner Neolithic (Harlan's Holiday).

Travel Column won her debut at Churchill Downs by 4 1/4 lengths with a pace-pressing run, then missed the start and could do no better than third in the G1 Alcibiades at Keeneland. Her win in the Golden Rod improves her record to two victories from three starts and earnings of $209,184.

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Geroux Retains Hot Hand At Churchill Downs Following Breeders’ Cup Riding Double

Jockey Florent Geroux's success after last weekend's Breeders' Cup world championships continued at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., as he vaulted to the top of the rider standings after he won with seven of his last 11 mounts beneath the Twin Spires.

“We've been on a great run,” said Geroux, who won aboard Aunt Pearl and Monomoy Girl at the Breeders' Cup. “It was an incredible weekend aboard some fantastic horses. Now, back at Churchill, we're continuing to do well.”

In total, Geroux recorded 16 wins through Friday's halfway mark of the 24-day Fall Meet. Geroux, typically the first-call rider for trainer Brad Cox, has recorded victories for 10 different trainers at the meet. Besides Cox, Geroux has also recorded wins for Tom Amoss, Rusty Arnold, Juan Cano, Wayne Catalano, Phil D'Amato, Eddie Kenneally, Mike Maker, Tom Van Berg and Brian Williamson.

“We had a great Breeders' Cup weekend next to Brad's four wins,” said Geroux, who is represented by veteran agent Doug Bredar. “I've stuck with Brad for a long time and it's been a snowball effect over the last few years – not only at the Breeders' Cup but just for our business in general.

“It's been a challenging year when we stopped racing over the winter with the pandemic. We've been very grateful to be able to run and do our job through this.”

Geroux was named to ride six horses on Sunday's program and 10 on Wednesday and Thursday. He remained one win ahead of Tyler Gaffalione and Ricardo Santana Jr. in the jockey standings.

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‘Emotional’ Goodbye: Starship Jubilee Retired Sound After Losing Rider In Breeders’ Cup

Two-time Grade 1 winner Starship Jubilee, a $16,000 claim in 2017, has officially been retired from racing, according to the Daily Racing Form. The 7-year-old daughter of Indy Wind stumbled at the start of the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf on Saturday at Keeneland, unseating jockey Florent Geroux, but was uninjured after being corralled by an outrider and retires sound.

Claimed in February of 2017 at Gulfstream by Tino Attard, the filly won a trio of allowance races before being transferred to Woodbine. Trained by his son, Kevin Attard, for all of her graded stakes victories, Starship Jubilee began to show her talent over the turf with a win in the 2017 G2 Nassau Stakes in May. In all she won nine graded stakes, including the 2019 G1 E. P. Taylor Stakes and the 2020 G1 Woodbine Mile.

Bred in Florida, Starship Jubilee also won three straight editions of the Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Stakes at Gulfstream, from 2018 through 2020. She retires with a record of 19 wins from 38 starts, with earnings of $2,093,069.

“It was really emotional for me to say goodbye to her,” Attard told drf.com. “She obviously meant a lot to me, my family, and my career. Horses like her become part of your family. You look forward to seeing them every morning in the barn. It's going to be hard walking by her stall.”

Comeback Queen: Monomoy Girl Shines, Swiss Skydiver Struggles After Rough Start In Distaff

The much-anticipated match-up between fan favorites Monomoy Girl and Swiss Skydiver saw the elder prevail in a decisive 1 3/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff. The win for 5-year-old Monomoy Girl capped an incredible 2020 season after an 18-month layoff due to colic surgery and a pulled muscle.

The race started poorly for 3-year-old Swiss Skydiver, who tripped leaving the starting gates under Robby Albarado and tucked in along the rail while Monomoy Girl sat off the early pace set by Lady Kate and Harvest Moon. Monomoy Girl made a four wide move going into the final turn while Swiss Skydiver hugged the rail and took advantage of an open space, bursting through while Monomoy Girl came charging on the outside. Swiss Skydiver weakened as Monomoy Girl strengthened with rider Florent Geroux, finding a new gear down to the finish and holding off late charges by Valiance and Dunbar Road, who finished second and third. Swiss Skydiver finished seventh.

“Honestly it's a relief,” said Cox. “She means the world to me and it's a lot of pressure when we run her, I don't know why. It just is. It's been a long road back. She's a real race horse. She's meant so much for so many people's lives, she's an amazing creature. I love her to pieces.

“Words can't even describe it. I think she plays a big role in our other three Breeders Cup victories over the weekend. She's meant so much to so many people's lives. She was my first Grade 1 winner here at Keeneland. I'm just so proud of her.”

The win is the fourth in this year's Breeders' Cup for trainer Brad Cox and the second for Geroux. Monomoy Girl's victory marks the fourth time in the race's history that a horse has won two editions of the Distaff.

“What a mare, just exceptional,” said Geroux. “She's a mare of a lifetime, very rare. It's like finding a diamond. When you have it, you do the best you can. It's a gift. Even after all she's been through, being off a year and a half, to come back and still be at the top of her game is unreal. I'm super thankful for the opportunity that Brad and the owners have given me.”

The final time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:47.84 following fast fractions of :23.11, :46.03, 1:09.94 on a dirt track that has played to speed all day.

Monomoy Girl's record now includes 13 wins from 15 starts, including this year's G1 La Troienne and G2 Ruffian for a group of owners including Michael Dubb, Monomoy Stables, The Elkstone Group and Bethlehem Stables. She was bred in Kentucky by FPF LLC and Highfield Ranch and is the daughter of Tapizar and Henny Hughes mare Drumette. Monomoy Girl was sold as a yearling for $100,000 to BSW Bloodstock/Liz Crow at the 2016 Keeneland September Sale, where she was consigned by Gainesway.

Prior to her break, which took out her entire 4-year-old season, she won the 2018 Distaff as well as the G1 Cotillion, G1 Coaching Club American Oaks, G1 Acorn and the G1 Kentucky Oaks.

Monomoy Girl is scheduled to be sold on Nov. 8 at Fasig-Tipton's November Sale. Her ownership told NBC reporters they would meet after the race to determine next steps after her win, but anticipated she would still go through the auction ring.

Swiss Skydiver trainer Ken McPeek suggested that as long as the filly came out of the race well, she would likely come back for a 4-year-old campaign. McPeek cautioned he wanted to check her over, as he found her finish uncharacteristic, but as long as she comes away from the Distaff healthy, he would begin plotting for 2021.

“She stumbled a little bit leaving there,” said Alborado. “It maybe cost her a little length or two position-wise, but it didn't cost us the win. I had a great opportunity turning for home and get on through there and get heads-up with the champ, but she just didn't have it today.

“I'm disappointed that we didn't win, but I'm not disappointed in her. What she has done in her career, she has never let anybody down, she hasn't disappointed anybody. The way she ran in the Preakness, she doesn't have to validate herself from here on out. She's a special filly and everybody knows her. She gets a little time now and will come back next year stronger.”

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