Corey Lanerie Joins An Elite Group
This Thursday, February 3, 2011 was a good day. It was a good day because you could chalk one up for the good guys. Jockey Corey Lanerie, truly one of Louisiana racing’s and all of Thoroughbred racing’s good guys, recorded his 3000th career win. Not bad for the 36 year-old Cankton, Louisiana native who’s had a 20 year productive career and is on-course to make a run at the leading rider honors at this meeting.
In Thursday’s third race, trainer Steve Margolis gave Corey a leg-up on Robert and Lawana Low’s Native Mambo and just a few minutes later they came “mamboing” home 3 ½ lengths in front. Chalk-up win number 3000 for Mr. Lanerie.
To find out where all of this winning stuff started, we have to go all the way back to win number one which happened on April 19, 1991. Corey remembers it like it was yesterday. “My first win was for trainer C.D. Delahoussaye on a horse called High Hopes Banquet. I was told to get to the rail and stay there. I got there, stayed there and came through a hole that wasn’t really there. Being young and inexperienced, I really didn’t know any better. I remember it very well.”
Corey has worked hard for a long time to get where he is today and he also remembers all of the other stops along the way. “I started at Evangeline Downs way back when and I’ve been to a lot of great race tracks between then and now. I’ve ridden at all of the other tracks in Louisiana - Fair Grounds, Louisiana Downs, Delta Downs and Jefferson Downs. In fact, I rode the winner of the last race ever run at Jefferson Downs. I rode Go Go Gunner for Melvin Guerra and Dino Huy on closing night, which was November 2, 1992.”
In his post race interview on Thursday with Katie Mikolay, Corey credited all of the owners and trainers that have supported him. When asked by Katie how it felt to win his 3000th, he said, “it feels great to reach this milestone in front of everybody that has supported me throughout my career. First, I want to say ’thank you’ to all the trainers and owners who gave me every opportunity that I had. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be standing here today, so thanks to everybody. It feels great to do it here in Louisiana.”
Katie also asked Corey if there was one winning horse that stood out in his career. He was quick to point out two. “Parade Leader winning the $500,000 New Orleans Handicap for trainer Neil Howard was a huge win in 2002 and Posse winning the 2003 Riva Ridge Breeder‘s Cup Stake on the Belmont Stakes under card were two of my biggest thrills.”
Corey has a great family support system that helps him get through the daily challenges of being a jockey. His mom and dad, Debbie and Gerald Lanerie (a former jockey) and his in-laws, Katie and Riley Hebert attend the races as often as they can to offer that motherly and fatherly support. Corey’s two biggest fans are his wife Shantel and his three-year-old daughter Brittlyn and both were in the winner‘s circle to help celebrate his latest milestone.
Those of us that know Corey, can easily see that he’s in a good place, not only in racing, but in his personal life. “Shantel has always been right there with me, but with my little girl coming along, things seem to be falling into place for me right now and I hope it continues. I’m probably having the most fun I’ve ever had. Everything is very special right now. My life and my career are really fun.”
To add to all of the current excitement in the Lanerie household, Corey has been nominated for the prestigious 2011 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award. The Woolf Award is presented annually to a jockey riding in North America who demonstrates high standards of personal and professional conduct on and off the racetrack. The one-time-only award is voted on by members of the Jockeys’ Guild who choose from among their peers nominated by Guild regional managers.
Demonstrating those high standards are something Corey does everyday, so winning the George Woolf Award would be the “icing on the cake” for a great career that still has a lot of races to be ridden and a lot of races to be won. Corey Lanerie is a class act that is truly one of the good guys.