Barn Notes

January 18, 2008 --

FAIR GROUNDS BARN NOTES

Headlines for Friday, January 18, 2008

· Leparoux Arrives Back at FG Wednesday; Rides Saturday

· Carroll Cautiously Optimistic With Two Sophomores

· Curlin, Pyro on Friday’s Fair Grounds Work Tab

· Lanerie Wins Three, Becomes a Dad

 

Leparoux Arrives Back at FG Wednesday; Rides Saturday

NEW ORLEANS, La. – Last Saturday on “Road to the Derby” Kickoff Day, 2006 Eclipse Award-winning apprentice Julien Leparoux rode at Fair Grounds for the first time in his brief but meteoritic career.

Following that six-stakes program Jan. 12, the 24-year-old native of Senlis, France, flew back to Southern California, retrieved his car from his brief base of operations at this year’s star-crossed Santa Anita meeting and commenced a marathon drive back to the Crescent City, arriving in New Orleans late Wednesday.

Beginning Saturday, Leparoux will once again ride at Fair Grounds – with engagements being handled by agent Steve Bass – and plans to make New Orleans his winter headquarters for the rest of the meet, which ends March 23.

“With two of us driving, we were able to drive about 12 or 13 hours a day,” said Leparoux Thursday. “We did stop for a few hours somewhere in the middle of Texas, but I don’t remember the name of the town. I remember we considered stopping at Ft. Stockton, but then we decided to keep going for a few more hours – maybe it was to the next fairly big town.”

The young Frenchman will be one more quality edition to the local riding colony. Last year, he ranked 10th nationally, with 261 wins from 1,404 mounts and had earnings of $12,188,975 and was also the leading jockey on the Kentucky circuit that year. In 2006, as an apprentice, he was the nation’s leading rider with 403 wins and earnings of $12,491,316, the most by an apprentice in Thoroughbred history.

However, the original plan this year was to leave the Kentucky circuit for California, but the problems with the artificial racing surface at Santa Anita necessitated a change in that script.

“I need to ride horses,” Leparoux said. “That’s my living. We lost a week out there. There’s just too much uncertainty out there right now.”

The City of Angels’ loss should end up being the Crescent City’s gain. The youngster – son of a former jockey and assistant trainer who died in 2003 – grew up around Chantilly and has wanted to be a jockey since he was 5.

He is also a serious student of the game, as was evidenced when he made his first trip to Chicago as an apprentice. Having never seen Arlington Park’s turf course, he arrived early in the morning and walked the entire turf course, feeling its texture under his feet. Later that afternoon he rode Cosmonaut to masterful pace-controlling victory in the Grade III Arlington Handicap. Three weeks later he returned to Chicago and used similar tactics to win the Grade I Beverly D. with Gorella.

Late last July, he came back to Chicago to ride Cosmonaut to a second straight victory in the 2007 Arlington Handicap. Three weeks later, he returned to win the Grade I Secretariat with Shamdinan.

Had the irony of the Frenchman’s sudden adoption of New Orleans – with all of its French history – struck home to Leparoux?

“Yes, of course,” said Leparoux, “especially since I’m living in the French Quarter right now. I’m really looking forward to riding here this winter.”

 

Carroll Cautiously Optimistic With Two Sophomores

What’s better than having one 3-year-old with Triple Crown potential? Well, having two would surely be even better.

That’s the position trainer Irish-born trainer David Carroll could find himself in shortly. Last Saturday, while under the care of Carroll, Dogwood Stable Inc.’s Blackberry Road finished a fast-closing second in the Grade III Lecomte at Fair Grounds with last year’s Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Calvin Borel in the irons.

“I was very pleased with his race,” Carroll said of Blackberry Road, who made his 3-year-old debut after finishing second by a half-length in last fall’s Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill. “He finished up well, and if he continues to train well, I would think we would run him in the Risen Star (Feb. 9).”

Saturday, Borel will return from his winter base of operations at Oaklawn Park to ride Mr. and Mrs. William Warren Jr.’s Denis of Cork in a first-level allowance. Significantly, it is Borel’s only listed mount on the day’s racing program. In Denis of Cork’s career debut last Nov. 24 at Churchill going seven furlongs, the colt came from far back to be best by a half-length.

“Denis of Cork was impressive breaking his maiden,” said Carroll of the well-made son of 2002 Florida Derby winner Harlan’s Holiday, “but he’ll be going two turns for the first time. He ran a good race last time, and of course we’re hoping he’ll move forward, but I find it’s best to take these things one race at a time. We’ll let the horse tell us what he’s capable of doing.”

Did Carroll know how Denis of Cork got his name?

“Yes I do,” Carroll said. “He’s named for Father Denis Casey of County Cork, Ireland, who happens to be a good friend of Mr. Warren. He likes to name horses after his friends.

“Ironically, there is a horse named Bishop Casey in the same race Saturday, and that information was passed along to Father Casey. He was not particularly impressed by the coincidence. Father Casey said, ‘I’ve never had any desire to be a Bishop. There’s too much paperwork.’ I thought that was very amusing.”

 

Curlin, Pyro on Friday’s Fair Grounds Work Tab

Preakness and Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Curlin, the favorite to be named “Horse of the Year” at Monday’s Eclipse Awards, breezed five furlongs over the fast main track at Fair Grounds Friday morning in 1:04.

Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC’s Pyro, easily second best in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Monmouth and also runner-up in last fall’s Grade I Champagne at Belmont, also breezed five-eighths Friday morning, getting the distance in 1:03.80.

Both Curlin and Pyro are conditioned by Steve Asmussen, winningest trainer in North America last year. Asmussen, who has already set a Fair Grounds single-season record with 11 stakes wins, joins both Curlin and Pyro as Eclipse finalists in their respective divisions.

While Curlin’s future remains uncertain due to complicated ownership issues, Pyro is presently being pointed toward Fair Grounds’ Grade III $300,000 Risen Star Stakes on Louisiana Derby Preview Day Feb. 9.

 

Lanerie Wins Three, Becomes a Dad

It’s been a good week for jockey Corey Lanerie. Not only did he have his best day of the season on “Road to the Derby” Kickoff Day Saturday with three wins, including the Louisiana Handicap aboard Silver Lord, but he became a father on Wednesday.

Lanerie’s wife Shantel – a mutuel clerk at the Fair Grounds meet for the last several years – gave birth to the couple’s first child at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday. Brittlyn Ava Lanerie weighed 7 pounds, 13 ounces.

Missing from the jockey’s quarters on Thursday, however, were cigars and the traditional pink “It’s a Girl” wrappers. “I haven’t been able to find any yet,” Lanerie said Thursday afternoon.

Lanerie scored his first win as a father, and his 17th of the meet, in Thursday’s fifth race aboard Streaking Pine. He ranks 10th in Fair Grounds’ jockey standings.