Tag: People

When jockey Julien Leparoux began riding at Churchill Downs in 2005, he and Brice Blanc were the only French-natives in the colony. Fast forward more than 16 years later and nearly 1,000 local wins for Leparoux, the jockey colony is flooded with French talent with the likes of Florent Geroux, Alex Achard and recent arrivals Vincent Cheminaud and Mickaelle Michel.

Leparoux, who entered Friday's card at Churchill Downs with 995 wins beneath the Twin Spires, started a wave of jockeys importing to the U.S. from France when he began working for trainer Patrick Biancone in 2003. Shortly after Leparoux found major success in the U.S., Geroux arrived with the help of Biancone. Since he started riding in 2007, Geroux has amassed more than $132 million in purse earnings and 1,911 wins.

Geroux and Cheminaud were on hand Thursday to watch Michel's state-side debut in Race 7 when she finished second aboard Good Measure for trainer Graham Motion. She was about 25 lengths in front of Leparoux who rode Scarabea.

“It's been a great start,” Michel said. “I've had help from a lot of people so far in America. I saw the success that a lot of French riders had in America and thought this would be a good move for my career.”

Michel has only been in the U.S. since May 12 but has already received support at the entry box from trainers Dallas Stewart and Jack Sisterson.

Meanwhile, Cheminaud has ridden in the U.S. twice before his full-time move earlier this year. He's most known for riding Juddmonte's Flintshire (GB) to victory in the 2015 Sword Dancer at Saratoga.

“This place is amazing. It's going to be really fun to ride here,” Cheminaud said of Churchill Downs when he first visited the track with Geroux in March.

The quartet of Cheminaud, Geroux, Leparoux and Michel all ride primarily at Churchill Downs and will be joined several days in the jocks room by Achard, who is a regular at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Overall, 14 riders have ridden this meet at Churchill Downs that are natives of European countries: Achard, Mickael Barzalona (born in France), Adam Beschizza (England), Declan Cannon (Ireland), Cheminaud, Geroux, Jack Gilligan (England), James Graham (Ireland), Christophe Lemaire (France), Leparoux, Michel, Flavian Prat (France), and Umberto Rispoli (Italy).

The post Churchill Downs’ Jockey Colony Filled With French Talent appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Peter Miller is ready to have his first runner since November this Sunday at Churchill Downs, as first reported by the Daily Racing Form, with Respect The Code entered in an allowance race at the Louisville, Ky., track.

Miller's six-month hiatus was a self-imposed break after five horses from his stable died in 2021, more than any other California trainer, drawing increased scrutiny. He was also sanctioned three times in 2021 for Class 4 medication violations in California, two of them for phenylbutazone overages after timed workouts. Miller denied in a statement that his hiatus has been prompted by actions by or agreements with regulators or racetracks.

“This is strictly a personal decision,” Miller's 2021 statement read. “The effort to compete at the highest level of my profession has taken its toll on my family and my health and I believe this decision is best for me, my family and our future.”

(Read Miller's full statement from 2021 here.)

Miller told the Daily Racing Form that Respect the Code is his only horse in Kentucky, and that he will be gearing up for the meets at Del Mar and Los Alamitos in California.

“I won't run at Santa Anita this year,” Miller told DRF.

Longtime assistant Ruben Alvarado took over Miller's stable during the hiatus, sending out 23 winners from 126 starters, including Grade 3 winner Zero Tolerance.

The post Trainer Peter Miller Back In Entry Box After Six Month Hiatus; ‘Won’t Run At Santa Anita This Year’ appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Fresh off notching her 23rd graded-stakes victory aboard Lightening Larry in last Saturday's Chick Lang (G3) at Pimlico Race Course on the Preakness Stakes (G1) undercard, Chantal Sutherland is scheduled to ride well-regarded contenders in both the $75,000 Big Drama and the $60,000 Sunny Isles Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

“I'm living my dream again,” Sutherland said Thursday between races at Gulfstream. “I'm loving it. I feel great and healthy.”

The Big Drama, a six-furlong sprint for Florida-bred 3-year-olds and up carded as Race 11, and the Sunny Isles, a five-furlong overnight handicap on turf for 3-year-olds and up carded as Race 6, will be co-featured on a 12-race program.

The victory aboard Lea Farms LLC's Lightening Larry was Sutherland's first graded-stakes success since 2014 and a giant step forward in the career revival she has achieved through a rededication to her craft since switching her tack from Kentucky to Gulfstream Park in the Spring of 2021.

“It was very rewarding. With Covid and injuries and taking time off, it's kind of all lining up, coming together,” said Sutherland, who rode Game On Dude to five graded-stakes victories n 2011 and 2012, including three Grade 1 scores. “It's a testament to all the hard work I've put in and the focus I have. There are no distractions right now.”

Sutherland, who rode Lightening Larry for the first time in the Chick Lang, is coming off winning rides aboard both Willy Boi and Warrior's Pride while riding both horses for the first time.

Lea Farms LLC's Willy Boy, who captured the Hutcheson at Gulfstream during the 2020-2021 Championship Meet, was making his first start for trainer Jorge Delgado while coming off an eight-month layoff when Sutherland guided him to a 7 ½-length front-running victory in a six-furlong optional claiming allowance at Tampa Bay Downs April 7. Willy Boi drew Post 8 in a nine-horse field that includes multiple-stakes winners Well Defined and Shivaree and stakes winners Gatsby, King Cab and Cajun's Magic.

“I love him. He's doing so good right now, and I love my post,” said Sutherland, whose win aboard Delgado-trained Lightening Larry was her first graded-stakes success since guiding Purely Hot to victory in the 2014 Whimsical at Woodbine.

Just for Fun Stable Inc.'s Warrior's Pride, who captured the Texas Glitter and the Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint at five furlongs on turf last year, returned to winning form with Sutherland in an April 28 optional claiming allowance at his favorite distance and on his favorite surface last time out. The Antonio Cioffi-trained 4-year-old son of Poseidon's Warrior, who began his 2022 campaign with a respectable fourth-place finish in the Feb 22 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint (G3) before coming up very short in the March 19 Silks Run.

“I think he's going to run big again,” Sutherland said.

Warrior's Pride, who posted a career-high 94 Beyer Speed Figure in his recent front-running score, will face six rivals in the Golden Isles, including The Virginian, who finished a length behind him while finishing second last time out.

Sutherland, whose 83 victories in 2021 were the most wins in a year since 2010, had won 12 races from 78 mounts [15 %] during the Royal Palm Meet heading into Thursday's card.

The post Chantal Sutherland: ‘I’m Living My Dream Again’ At Gulfstream Park appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Will Walden celebrated his first winner at Churchill Downs this month, sending out Ready Made Racing's Dazzlingdominika to a maiden special weight victory.

“I've been in this winner's circle a lot with my dad but to be here today as winning trainer is an unbelievable feeling,” Walden told Churchill Downs' publicity team. “It's truly surreal.”

The running line for that victory in the Equibase chart reads: “fought back, clear, held.” It's a fitting metaphor for Walden's journey through substance abuse and his subsequent recovery.

Hooked on heroin, cocaine, and alcohol, Walden struggled with his addictions throughout most of his 20s. Walden told the Thoroughbred Racing Commentary that he made the choice to become sober on Nov. 23, 2020, thanks to the influence of armed forces veteran Christian Countzler, who worked at Shepherds House, a drug treatment program in Lexington.

During his recovery, Walden met Frank Taylor, who was running a horsemanship program to help Shepherds House's recovering addicts with jobs on his Taylor Made Farm. Walden proposed the Ready Made Racing venture, which purchases inexpensive horses to run in auction races. Two other recovering addicts from Shepherds House, exercise rider Tyler Maxwell and groom Mike Lowrey, neither of whom had previous horse experience, now work with Walden after graduating from the Taylor Made Program.

“The goal is to be the biggest training operation in the United States,” Walden told TRC.  “There is no ceiling. We are not here for any participation trophy. We don't want pats on the back because we are group of guys that have rearranged our lives.”

Walden's willingness to talk about his journey to recovery is designed to help other addicts who might not see a way out of that lifestyle.

“The past was the sword they used to stab me, but now I use it to defend,” Walden told TRC. “I don't mind talking about my past, especially in public, because there were people that put themselves out there when I was going through what I went through.

“In a lifestyle where there was absolutely zero hope, there was a beacon of light from those people that were able to get past getting vulnerable and saying what their lives were like now.

“So it's not about me. Do I like telling everybody I was a heroin addict and a crackhead? No, I don't. But on the off-chance that it could help somebody, it's completely worth it.”

Read more at the Thoroughbred Racing Commentary.

The post Will Walden Hoping To Be ‘A Beacon Of Light’ For Others Suffering From Substance Abuse appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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