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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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Del Mar’s Hollywood Turf Cup Could Have East Coast Flavor

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club racing secretary David Jerkens reports there is serious interest from several eastern trainers with likely runners for Del Mar's Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup scheduled for Friday, Nov. 27. The $200,000 race will be contested at a mile and one-half on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Trainer Brad Cox has indicated his multiple-stakes winner Arklow, most recently seen running sixth in the G1 Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland, might be on board for the marathon. Trainer Mike Maker is considering two of his route runners in Big Agenda and Aquaphobia. The latter was a Grade 1 winner on the grass this year.

Also possible for the seventh local edition of the stakes is the German stakes winner Laccario for trainer Andreas Wohler, as well as trainer Graham Motion's Ziyad, a European import who ran third in the G3 Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 15 in his initial U.S. start.

The Hollywood Turf Cup will be part of a seven-stakes-all-on-the-grass bonanza that starts on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26) and runs through the track's closing afternoon on Sunday, Nov. 29.

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Knust Hoping ‘One A Day’ Will Be Tonic For Cedillo Repeat In Del Mar Jockey Race

Defending Bing Crosby Season riding champion Abel Cedillo won Friday's sixth race aboard Just Grace ($5.60) for trainer Bob Hess, Jr., and has a four-win margin (10-6) over closest pursuer Tiago Pereira with nine days remaining in the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club meet in Del Mar, Calif.

And one win (or more) per day is what Tom Knust, Cedillo's agent, would like to see to keep his comfort level up through the Nov. 29 conclusion of the meet.

“If we can win one a day, we'll be OK,” Knust said Saturday morning. “We were fortunate to get off to a good start while (Flavien) Prat and (Juan) Hernandez were away. But they're back and we know how tough they can be. It's not going to be easy.”

Prat, leading rider or close contender at Del Mar for the past four years, guided a pair of price horses home Friday after getting a leg up by his counterpart in the training category, Peter Miller. Seaside Dancer paid $21.80 to win in the fifth and Ruthies Racer $14.40 in the eighth.

Prat and Hernandez are among a group tied for sixth in the Torrey Holistics standings with three wins. Prat is 3-for-12, Hernandez 3-for-28.

Miller's two wins gave him six for the meet and broke a three-way tie atop the trainer standings. Bob Baffert, who had no starters Friday, remains 4-for-7 while Doug O'Neill blanked with five runners and is 4-for-24.

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Quenane Posts $57.60 Upset In Millions Classic Preview At Gulfstream Park West

IAB Stables and Walter Fralick's Quenane, the longest shot in a field full of stakes winners, showed off his fondness for the course and conditions by splashing to a one-length victory over late-running favorite Noble Drama in Saturday's $60,000 Millions Classic Preview at Gulfstream Park West in Miami Gardens, Fla.

The Classic Preview for 3-year-olds and up, shortened to one mile this year, was the first of five dirt stakes for Florida-breds on the program, serving as a prep for the $100,000 Sunshine Millions Classic Jan. 16 during Gulfstream Park's Championship Meet.

Quenane ($57.60), a 6-year-old Algorithms gelding, led every step of the way to earn his 13th lifetime victory and fourth in seven tries at Gulfstream West. For his career, Quenane has a record of 4-4-1 in 13 attempts on an off track.

Jockey Angel Arroyo and Quenane raced to the outside of Debbie's Passion on the short run to the first turn and around the bend before taking over willingly into the backstretch, with defending champion Red Crescent also racing forwardly in third. The first quarter-mile went in 24.40 seconds as Red Crescent moved up to a pressing position.

Red Crescent continued to loom a threat through a half in 47.70, a half-length behind Quenane, with Debbie's Passion third and Noble Drama beginning to rev up along the inside after trailing early. Red Crescent appeared to nudge a neck in front between calls but Quenane responded by surging again and remaining in front after six furlongs in 1:11.97.

Arroyo hugged the rail turning for home and set sail for the wire while Noble Drama, a winner of back-to-back stakes but engaged in a long drive under Emisael Jaramillo, shifted to the far outside to make a belated bid for second. Debbie's Passion held third, followed by Garter and Tie and Red Crescent.

“Noble Drama is in terrific form and Red Crescent won this race last year, and so far Quenane in keeping company with them over the summer really hadn't been effective with them and faced some challenges when running against them,” winning trainer Tamara Levy said. “Not to slight Quenane – he's a very good horse and he's exceeded our expectations of him time and time again. If he can work it out and find away, he'll get it done.”

Claimed by Levy as a 3-year-old for $6,250 out of a third-place finish July 9, 2017, in what was his 10th start, Quenane moved over the $300,000 mark in lifetime purses with Saturday's win. Levy plans to point him to the 22nd Claiming Crown Dec. 5 on opening day of the 2020-2021 Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park.

“He's never won gate to wire in his career. He knows the pace, he's an older horse. He knows where the wire is. He knows the job, so you've got to kind of let him decide. Sometimes he knows best,” Levy said. “Angel did a terrific job today.”

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