Lanerie gets off to good start with new agent

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The post-Derby segment of the Churchill spring meet got off to a successful start for jockey Corey Lanerie and his new agent, Cory Prewitt, as Lanerie won two races on the first Thursday card of the meet. His six mounts on the card were the first booked for Lanerie by Prewitt.

“It feels pretty good to start that way,” said Prewitt, 30. “Corey’s not going to Baltimore next weekend, so we’re getting a lot of business lined up here. Hopefully the momentum will keep building.”

Since 2012, Lanerie has won or shared 16 meet titles at Churchill. His business was subpar over the winter during the four-month meet at Fair Grounds, where he was sixth in the standings, and then he went 3 for 77 in April at Keeneland, prompting his hiring of Prewitt.

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Lanerie, 44, suffered the unexpected death of his wife, Shantel, last June. He had been named to ride Cutting Humor in the Kentucky Derby last Saturday but was replaced by Mike Smith the day before the race.

In recent months, Lanerie has been dating fellow jockey Chantal Sutherland, who rode her first winner in two months when Distorted Ransom upset the last race Thursday at 13-1. Sutherland is being represented by 24-year-old agent Rocco O’Connor.

Sutherland and Tyler Baze are among a handful of new faces in the local jockey colony. David Cohen and Stewart Elliott, both in from the Oaklawn Park meet, each had their first mounts of the meet Thursday.