Year of the Jockey

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Breeders' Cup Win
Juvenile Turf (Mth)—Nownownow (2007)

Major Stakes Wins
Ack Ack H. (GIII-CD)—Istan (2007)
Aegon Turf Sprint (GIII-CD)—Man of Illusion (2006)
Arlington H. (GIII-AP)—Cosmonaut (2006, 2007)
Beverly D (GI-AP)—Gorella (2006)
Cardinal H. (GIII-CD)—Sabellina (2006)
Cash Call Mile Invitational (GII-Hol)—Lady of Venice (2007)
Crown Royal American Turf (GIII-CD)—Stream Cat (2006)
Dahlia H. (GII-Hol)—Grand Melody (2006)
Dogwood BC Cup (GIII-CD)—Lady Joanne (2007)
Fleur de Lis H. (GII-CD)—Happy Ticket (2006)
First Lady G. (GII-Kee)—Gorella (2006)
Hollywood Prevue (GIII-Hol)—Belgravia (2006)
Iroquois (GIII-CD)—Court Vision (2007)
Juddmonte Spinster (GI-Kee)—Asi Siempre (2006)
Just A Game (GII-Bel)—Gorella (2006)
Kentucky Cup Distaff (GIII-TP)—Danzon (2007)
Kentucky Cup Juvenile (GIII-TP)—Texas Fever (2007)
Palomar BC H. (GII-Dmr)—Precious Kitten (2007)
Pocahontas (GIII-CD)—Pure Clan (2007)
Regret (GIII-CD)—Lady of Venice (2006)
Secretariat (GI-AP)—Shamdinar (2007)
Spinaway (GI-Sar)—Irish Smoke (2007)
Victory Ride (GIII-Sar)—La Traviata (2007)

Highlights

• First winner: Eastern Guardian at Saratoga on Aug. 18, 2005.
• First stakes winner: Cat Quartorza in the Likely Exchange at Turfway Park on Feb. 11, 2006.
• First Grade I stakes winner: Gorella in the Beverly D at Arlington Park on Aug. 12, 2006.
• Riding titles: Turfway Park winter-spring: 2006, 2007; Turfway Park fall: 2006; Churchill Downs spring: 2006, 2007; Churchill Downs fall: 2006; Keeneland spring: 2006 (tie); 2007.
• In his first full year of riding in 2006, led all jockeys in wins from the first day of the year, finishing with 403 victories and over $12.5 million in purse earnings to rank eighth nationally, shattering the former apprentice mark of $7.5 million set by Jeremy Rose in 2001. All of which landed the transplanted Frenchman an Eclipse Award as the nation’s leading apprentice. He became a journeyman on Sept. 25 of the year.
• Despite being an apprentice became the first-call rider for his mentor, trainer Patrick Biancone, and was still a “bug rider” when gaining his first Grade I victory aboard Gorella in the Beverly D at Arlington Park in August. Seventeen of the young jockey’s 25 stakes wins in 2006 came aboard horses trained by the French-born Biancone.
• Became the fifth rider in Churchill Downs history to win six races on a single card and first since Pat Day in 1999 when he won six of the day’s first eight races on a nine-race card on June 27, 2007.
• Gained his first Breeders’ Cup victory on Oct. 26, 2007 when rallyingNownownow from last at the quarter-pole to capture the inaugural running of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf over one-mile at odds of 12-1. Winner was trained by Francois Parisel, assistant to a suspended Biancone.
• First million-dollar win came at Hollywood Park on July 6, 2007 in the Grade II Cash Call Mile Invitational aboard Lady of Venice for Biancone. Swept past 4-5 favorite Price Tag to win by 1 1/2 lengths despite losing whip in midstretch.
• During his Eclipse Award winning season in 2006, became the first apprentice jockey to win the riding championship in Keeneland’s 70-year history when he shared the spring meet title with Rafael Bejarano. Also became the first apprentice to claim the Churchill Downs spring crown since 1949.

Personal

• Raised around racing in Chantilly, France, where his father Robert, a former jockey, worked as an assistant trainer before his death in 2003. Began working at the track at the age of 18 as a groom, hot-walker and occasional exercise rider.
• Arrived in Southern California on Jan. 23, 2003, to be employed as an exercise rider by Patrick Biancone, whom he accompanied to the 2003 and 2004 Breeders’ Cups.
• Launched his riding career at Saratoga in the summer of 2005. The following year made Kentucky his riding base while often traveling to the East Coast as well as the West Coast for occasional riding assignments, primarily for Biancone.
• Marie Biancone, an assistant to her father, offered this assessment of the young rider from France: “Part of his success is his calmness; he doesn’t get excited. He stays very focused and concentrates on what he does everyday. He suddenly became famous, but it hasn’t gone to his head.”
• Planned to relocate to Southern California in late November of 2007 and regularly ride at Santa Anita’s winter/spring meet. “He’s decided this is what he wants to do and he wants to see what happens,” said his agent, Steve Bass.