julien leparoux | Horse Racing Free Tips

Derby Jockeys: With Several Big Names Staying Home, Kentucky Riders Get A Shot In The Big Dance

In a normal year, jockeys would be hard-pressed to miss their flights to Louisville for a chance to ride in the Kentucky Derby. Obviously, 2020 has been anything but a normal year, with the coronavirus pandemic pushing the Run for the Roses back to Sept. 5 and drawing up jockey travel restrictions all around the United States.

Last week, Churchill Downs announced that riders wanting to participate in the Derby will have to arrive in the state of Kentucky by Aug. 31, and participate in several additional coronavirus precautions.

As such, a number of prominent U.S. jockeys won't be making the trip to Kentucky. Jose and Irad Ortiz will both stay in New York, as will Joel Rosario, reports the Daily Racing Form, and last year's Derby winner Flavien Prat will stay in Southern California.

Those choices have opened the doors for Kentucky-based riders to have a chance to pick up a mount in the Derby.

Here's a look at the current 3-year-olds pointing to the Kentucky Derby, and their jockeys (plus state in which they are based), in order of points earned.

Tiz the Law – Manny Franco (New York) – 372
Authentic – John Velazquez (New York) – 200
Art Collector – Brian Hernandez, Jr. (Kentucky) – 150
Honor A. P. – Mike Smith (California) – 140
Ny Traffic – TBD (last ridden by Paco Lopez) – 110
King Guillermo – Samy Camacho (Florida) – 90
Thousand Words – Florent Geroux (Kentucky) – 83
Dr Post – TBD (last ridden by Joe Bravo) – 80
Max Player – Ricardo Santana, Jr. (Kentucky) – 60
Caracaro – TBD (last ridden by Javier Castellano) – 60
Enforceable – Adam Beschizza (Kentucky) – 43
Rushie – TBD (last ridden by Javier Castellano) – 40
Major Fed – James Graham (Kentucky) – 38
Storm the Court – Julien Leparoux (Kentucky) – 36
Attachment Rate – Joe Talamo (Kentucky) – 35
Sole Volante – Luca Panici (Florida) – 30
Finnick the Fierce – TBD (last ridden by Jose Ortiz) – 25
Winning Impression – Joe Rocco, Jr. (Kentucky) – 20
Necker Island – Mitchell Murrill (Kentucky) – 14
Shirl's Speight – Rafael Hernandez (Canada) – 0
Money Moves – TBD (last ridden by Luis Saez) – 0

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Enola Gay Edges Walk In Marrakesh At The Wire In Appalachian

Allen Stable's homebred Enola Gay edged past Walk In Marrakesh (IRE) in the final jump to win Saturday's Appalachian Stakes (G2) at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

Trained by Shug McGaughey and ridden by Julien Leparoux, Enola Gay covered the mile on a firm turf in a stakes-record 1:33.97. It is the third Appalachian victory for Leparoux, who also won on Check the Label in 2010 and Lady of Venice (FR) in 2006.

Evil Lyn led the field of six through fractions of :23.25 and :46.28 with odds-on favorite Alms tracking in second and Walk In Marrakesh third.

On the far turn, Alms and Walk In Marrakesh moved by the leader while Enola Guy began to move on the far outside. Walk In Marrakesh put Alms away in deep stretch but could not hold off the late surge by Enola Gay.

The victory was worth $90,000 and increased Enola Gay's earnings to $174,000 with a record of 3-2-0-0.

The Appalachian was her first start in eight months.

A Keeneland sales graduate, Enola Gay is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Uncle Mo out of the War Front mare Dakota Queen. She paid $12.60, $5.20 and $2.60. Walk In Marrakesh, ridden by Jose Ortiz, returned $4.40 and $2.40 with Alms finishing only head back and returning $2.10 to show under Joel Rosario.

It was another 1¼ lengths back to Evil Lyn, who was followed in order by Passion Factor and Mariafoot (FR).

Appalachian Presented by Japan Racing Association Quotes
Julien Leparoux: “I was in a good spot the whole race. The 3 (Evil Lyn) and 4 (Alms) – I got going with them. Coming to the stretch, (Enola Gay) just went on. She fought hard. At the wire, I thought I won it. But when I came back I saw the outrider pick up the 6 (second-place Walk In Marrakesh [IRE]). I thought maybe I was too late. But she got it done.

“My filly, she just kept going. She fought hard the whole way.”

Winning trainer Shug McGaughey: “I couldn't tell (if she had won). I kind of called it the other way, but then I got a text that said 'Boom' and I knew I was all right.

“She had trained really well up here (in New York). We were taking a little shot. She hadn't run for a while, but she had trained so well. She had been finishing up in her races really good, but it looked to me when they turned for home there she might (not win). Julien got her to the outside, and she kicked in. They ran fast. We're very pleased, I'm very, very pleased.

“It looks like to me now that she wants to run a little bit farther. So we'll see how she comes out of it. She'll go to Saratoga tomorrow.”

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Uncle Mo’s Enola Gay Comes Alive Late to Take Appalachian

Saturday, Keeneland
APPALACHIAN S. PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION-GII, $150,000, Keeneland, 7-11, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:33.97, fm.
1–ENOLA GAY, 118, f, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Dakota Queen, by War Front
2nd Dam: Moon Queen (Ire), by Sadler’s Wells
3rd Dam: Infamy (Ire), by Shirley Heights (GB)
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($90,000 RNA Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Allen Stable Inc; B-Mr Joseph Allen LLC
(KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III; J-Julien R Leparoux. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $174,000. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click
for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Walk In Marrakesh (Ire), 118, f, 3, Siyouni (Fr)–Walk In Beauty (Ire), by Shamardal. O-Merriebelle Stable LLC;
B-Merriebelle Irish Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Ignacio Correas IV. $30,000.
3–Alms, 118, f, 3, City Zip–Charity Belle, by Empire Maker. O-Godolphin, LLC; B-Godolphin (KY); T-Michael Stidham. $15,000.
Margins: NO, HD, 1 1/4. Odds: 5.30, 4.50, 0.50.
Also Ran: Evil Lyn, Passion Factor, Mariafoot (Fr).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

Enola Gay, employing her usual come-from-behind style, got up in the final jump to collect her first black-type and graded- stakes win in Saturday’s GII Appalachian S. A first-out winner going 6 1/2 furlongs at Kentucky Downs last September, the bay concluded the season with a fourth–beaten four lengths–in the Stewart Manor S. over Aqueduct’s outer turf course Nov. 10. Given a 5-1 chance in this seasonal return, the Shug McGaughey trainee was a close-up third as Evil Lyn (Wicked Strong) and Alms (City Zip) established a :23.25 quarter. Joined by Walk In Marrakesh to her outside through a half in :46.28, the Allen hombred was soon left behind as Walk In Marrakesh rushed up to join the two leaders as they hit the quarter pole. At the head of the stretch, Evil Lyn, Alms and Walk In Marrakesh were three abreast with Enola Gay tucked in about a length behind them, and while it looked like one of the top three would win the day, Enola Gay found her best stride late and closed down the center of the course to best Walk In Marrakesh by a nose on the wire. Alms rounded out the trifecta.

Pedigree Notes:
Campaigned by Joseph Allen, Enola Gay is out of Allen hombred Dakota Queen (War Front), herself a daughter of Group 2\Grade III-winner Moon Queen (Sadler’s Wells). A half-sister to multiple graded stakes winning turf mare Innuendo (Ire) (Caerleon), Moon Queen–a daughter of 1988 Woodbine’s GI Rothmans International heroine Infamy (Ire)–is also responsible for Grade III-scorer Beauty Parlor (Elusive Quality).
Dakota Queen produced a juvenile full-sister to the winner, now named Flying Fortress, and a yearling sister by Union Rags. The 8-year-old mare was bred back to Into Mischief.
Enola Gay is the first graded stakes winner, and the fifth stakes winner, for War Front as a broodmare sire.

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Four Graces Wins Beaumont At Keeneland, But Unlikely To Stretch Out For Kentucky Oaks

Whitham Thoroughbreds' homebred Four Graces set a track record by winning the 35th running of the $100,000 Beaumont Stakes (G3) by 4¾ lengths over Sconsin at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky., on Friday. She covered the Beard Course of 7 furlongs, 184 feet over a fast main track in 1:24.90 for a stakes and track record.

Jockey Julien Leparoux put Four Graces on the lead with second choice Wicked Whisper just to her outside as the two raced through early fractions of :22.29 and :44.37.

At the head of the stretch, Four Graces put Wicked Whisper away, opened a daylight margin and cruised to the finish line well clear of Sconsin. For Leparoux, it is his third Beaumont victory with previous wins coming in 2009 with War Kill and 2016 with Lightstream.

“She's a fast filly,” said Leparoux. “The track is pretty quick today too. But she was doing it very nicely for me in a good rhythm. That's the way she likes to run – free – and she makes that big kick at the end.

“I'm surprised we broke the track record, really,” he added. “But she's getting much better right now and she's doing very good.”

Trained by Ian Wilkes, Four Graces picked up 20 points toward the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) on Sept. 4 and hiked her total to 40, a figure that ranks 12th. The Oaks is limited to the top 14 point earners to pass the entry box.

The victory was worth $60,000 and boosted Four Graces' earnings to $194,450 with a record of 5-4-0-0. It was her third consecutive victory and second Grade 3 having won the Dogwood at Churchill last month.

Wilkes said he was not inclined to stretch out Four Graces around two turns to the Oaks distance.

“I'll talk to (owner) Mrs. (Janis) Whitham and (most likely) we'll point to the Test (G1, going 7 furlongs on Aug. 8 at Saratoga),” he said.

Four Graces is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Majesticperfection out of the Seeking the Gold mare Ivory Empress. She returned $3.40, $2.40 and $2.10. Sconsin, who picked up her initial eight Oaks points, paid $3.20 and $2.40 under James Graham. Turtle Trax, who finished 4¾ lengths back in third under Brian Hernandez Jr. and paid $3 to show. Wilkes also trains Turtle Trax, who picked up four Oaks points to raise her total to six.

Wicked Whisper (12 Oaks points) finished fourth followed by Slam Dunk.

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