Fair Grounds: Geroux building business in new surroundings

NEW ORLEANS – Jockey Florent Geroux, coming off a strong meet at Arlington Park, has been holding his own early in his first Fair Grounds meet while trying to connect with a new set of trainers.

Geroux won four races in the first three weeks and had two second-place finishes in stakes – on Central Banker in the Thanksgiving Handicap and on Marine Patrol in the Woodchopper.

“Hopefully, little by little, I can build up some business,” Geroux said.

Success out of state doesn’t always translate to the Fair Grounds, where local connections can be strong. Over the years, many newcomers have found it difficult to build momentum. It helps to come to New Orleans with backing.

Geroux, who tied for third in wins at Arlington with 58, is counting on support at Fair Grounds from Wayne Catalano and Doug Matthews, trainers for whom he rode in Chicago. For Catalano, Geroux won the Arlington-Washington Futurity on Solitary Ranger and the Pucker Up on I’m Already Sexy.

“He’s the one,” Geroux said of Catalano after working a horse for him Monday. “He’s kind of made me.”

He said that Catalano, a former jockey, is a mentor.

“He always watches me when I ride for him or when I don’t ride for him,”Geroux said.

“He’s a good young rider,” Catalano said. “He’s very talented, nice family man, wants to learn. I’ve been teaching him race-riding. One time I over-taught him, and he beat me. He said, ‘Is that what you do?’ I said, ‘Yeah, but not against me.’ ”

Geroux, 27, was born in the French town Argentan in Normandy and later lived near Paris. He began riding as a teenager in France before coming to the United States in 2007.

“Just to try,” he said. “I see the Breeders’ Cup on TV.”

Trainer Patrick Biancone asked him to stay, Geroux said.

His agent is Doug Bredar, whose many jobs as a racing official around the country included a two-year stint in Louisiana as racing secretary at Louisiana Downs. A chance meeting on a backstretch viewing stand between Bredar and trainer Jorge Gomez led to two winning mounts for Geroux.

“He [Gomez] remembered me as a racing official in Florida,” Bredar said. “I might have given him stalls at Louisiana Downs. We got to talking. Won one for Neal Maharaj the same way.

“Since I’ve been doing this end of the industry, I’ve found you really have to search the barn area. Guys that sometimes slip through the cracks are looking for riders just like the big guys are.”

Geroux is 2 for 2 for Gomez after winning last Sunday for him on 28-1 shot Trukarma in a low-level claiming race. Gomez said he never met Geroux before this meet.

“That’s a good percentage, 100 percent,” Gomez said. “I think he’s a very good rider. He tries hard. That’s good for me.”

Geroux said he enjoys riding for small outfits such as Gomez’s, “show people I’m trying hard for everybody. Win on a longshot, [and] people pay attention.”

Up With the Birds is turned out

Up With the Birds, who won the Grade 1 Jamaica on Oct. 5 on the turf at Belmont Park in his last start, is turned out at Sam-Son Farm in Ocala, Fla., “getting a well-deserved rest,’’ trainer Malcolm Pierce said. “He ran hard every time, topping it off with a Grade 1 that was pretty exciting,”

Pierce said that Up With the Birds would be coming to Fair Grounds late in the meet and might make a start in March. His other three victories this year came in the Black Gold at Fair Grounds and the Marine Stakes and Breeders’ Stakes at Woodbine. He finished second this year in the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine and Grade 3 Transylvania Stakes at Keeneland.

“He’s better than I was giving him credit for,” Pierce said. “He took a big step up” in the Jamaica.

Pin Oak Stable’s 3-year-old filly Overheard, who won the Grade 3 Valley View on Oct. 18 on Keeneland’s turf in her last start, also is on a break and is expected at the Fair Grounds in January, Pierce said.

◗ Grade 2 winner Delaunay, who was scratched from the Thanksgiving Handicap because of a temperature, missed almost a week of training, trainer Tom Amoss said Wednesday. He said he plans to work Delaunay next week. His last workout was Nov. 16.

◗ Catalano said that Solitary Ranger missed a little time with a foot issue and is getting ready to return to training. Catalano is weighing racing plans for Solitary Ranger, who has raced only on synthetic surfaces.

◗ Catalano is preparing Imposing Grace, who hasn’t raced since winning the Grade 3 Arlington Matron in May, for a return to competition in the Blushing K.D. on Dec. 21 on the turf. In her only turf race, Imposing Grace finished eighth in the Hatoof in 2012 at Arlington in her third start. “She was green,” said Catalano, who would like to give her another try on grass.