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Geroux Riding Momentum From Derby Week Success At Churchill Downs

Jockey Florent Geroux is enjoying his early success at the Churchill Downs spring meet in Louisville, Ky., and entered Saturday's 11-race card one win behind Tyler Gaffalione for the top honors in the jockey standings.

The 34-year-old native of France recorded 17 wins from 64 mounts with purse earnings just shy of $2.2 million.

“We had a very successful Kentucky Derby week to begin the meet and we kept the momentum from there,” Geroux said. “We're riding for some great owners and trainers and, most importantly, some live horses.”

Geroux's early success at the meet helped him rise to third in overall North American purse earnings with $7,880,342. He sits just behind Irad Ortiz Jr. and Joel Rosario.

Represented by Doug Bredar, Geroux was tabbed to ride eight horses Saturday night including the morning line favorites in both stakes events: Frank's Rockette (6-5) in the $150,000 Winning Colors (G3) and Delta's Kingdom (5-2) in the $110,000 Keertana Overnight Stakes.

Geroux is seeking his first leading rider title at Churchill Downs.

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Pyfer Getting Her Mounts Out Of The Gate And Into Winner’s Circle

Jessica Pyfer set what is believed to be a record in California last Sunday at Santa Anita in Arcadia by becoming the first female apprentice rider to win four races in one day.

The 23-year-old Denver native won the second race on Rakasasah, the third on Joe Don Looney, the seventh aboard Lofty and the ninth on Sweet Devil.

The step-daughter of leading trainer Phil D'Amato, Pyfer has 31 victories, good for sixth in Santa Anita's jockey standings.

“We're excited, but we never thought it could be a record for apprentices,” said her agent, Brandon O'Bryan.

“We were happy with winning four,” added O'Bryan, a third-generation agent, following in the footsteps of his late grandfather, George, and his father, Craig, who represents Juan Hernandez.

“It always helps to have the support of the leading trainer in your corner,” Brandon said, “but Jessica is well-liked and very talented. I think her best trait is getting horses out of the gate.”

And getting them to the wire first, too.

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Go East Young Man: Heriberto Figueroa Moving Tack To Monmouth Park

While there's been a lot of talk about jockeys who say they won't be riding at New Jersey's Monmouth Park this summer because of the strict riding crop rules put in place by the state's racing commission, agent John Salamone is eager to report that he will be representing 21-year-old Heriberto Figueroa, who is moving his tack from Southern California to the Jersey Shore for the meet that begins May 28.

“It's a great opportunity to take a kid who has a bright future,” said Salamone, who will also represent Jomar Torres for the third consecutive year at Monmouth while handling Chantal Sutherland's book at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. “He can sit on a horse and ride,” Salamone added, “and he doesn't use the whip that much.”

New Jersey's rule, the strictest in North America, prohibits use of the whip for anything other than safety purposes.

Salamone said he was contacted by jockey Jose Ortiz, who got to know Figueroa at Puerto Rico's Escuela Vocacional Hipica riding school, where Jose and brother Irad Ortiz Jr. graduated, along with many other top riders.

“He called me and said he wanted to move East,” Ortiz said of Figueroa. “I know the kids from the jockey school, and I think he can ride a little bit. Heriberto has a great work ethic. He's a very nice, humble person and I know he's going to work as hard as he can. Monmouth is a great meet for him to ride.”

Figueroa launched his career in his native Puerto Rico, then rode during the Gulfstream Park Championship Meet in 2018 before heading to California, where he made an immediate impact, teaming up frequently with leading trainer Peter Miller. He finished his first full year as an apprentice with 103 wins from 582 mounts and finished in the top three in 47% of his races.

Figueroa won stakes for Miller and trainer Richard Baltas, who sent the jockey to Ohio last year to win the $200,000 Steel Valley Sprint Stakes aboard Vertical Threat.

“He's a great kid who always works hard and has a good attitude,” Miller said of Figueroa. “We won quite a few races together and I think he has a lot of talent.”

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Australian Jockeys To Undergo Extended Stand-Down Period After Concussion Diagnosis

Jockeys in Victoria, Australia will now be required to stand down for 12 days if diagnosed with a concussion, reports justhorseracing.com.au. The stand down period was increased from the previous seven days on the advice of Racing Victoria doctor Gary Zimmerman.

The 12-day period puts Racing Victoria on par with the Australian Football League.

“We have seen a lot of athletes in the AFL, they want to avoid being diagnosed with concussion because they know there will be an automatic stand-down and they can't play a game the following week,” said Matthew Hyland, chief executive of the Victorian Jockeys' Association. “But you have to hold the athlete in one hand and then you have to hold the medical advice in the other and you have to try and bring it together and arrive at a satisfactory outcome.

“Sometimes you have to take that out of the athlete's hands.”