Geroux caps big night aboard Mississippi Delta in Ladies Sprint
FRANKLIN, Ky. – Florent Geroux ended another huge day at Kentucky Downs by winning the Saturday nightcap, the $278,220 Ladies Sprint, aboard favored Mississippi Delta in the last of four stakes on the richest card of the year at the turf-only track.
Geroux was a half-hour removed from winning the biggest race of the meet, the Kentucky Turf Cup, when he got a dream run aboard Mississippi Delta, who finished 1 3/4 lengths clear of Rapid Rhythm in the 6 1/2-furlong race. The winner paid $5 after finishing in 1:18.79 over a course rated yielding.
“She put herself in good position and ran on to the wire,” Geroux said.
Trained by Mark Casse for Jackpot Ranch and the filly’s breeder, Mike Rutherford, Mississippi Delta was coming off races against some of North America’s more accomplished miler types in the filly-mare turf division. The 4-year-old daughter of Giant’s Causeway earned $205,680 and is now just shy of the half-million mark.
Rumble Doll was third and Quiet Prediction held fourth in the field of nine.
The $2 exacta (3-2) paid $39.60, the $1 trifecta (3-2-1) returned $107, and the 10-cent superfecta (3-2-1-5) was worth $198.63. There were no winning tickets sold in the $1 super high five pool.
The Ladies Sprint ended a 50-cent pick five worth $1,089.85 and a 50-cent all-stakes pick four that paid $85. Respective handle on each wager was $387,520 and $283,894.
All-sources handle of $5,769,505 for the 10-race card easily broke the former Kentucky Downs record, set last year on a 13-race card ($5,071,415). A severe thunderstorm prior to the seventh race threatened to foil the big day, but the weather relented, allowing action to resume following a half-hour delay.
