Lanerie in the lead for spring meet riding title

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Corey Lanerie, who has won or shared 16 riding titles at Churchill since 2012, leads the standings with just seven programs remaining at the 38-day meet. Through last weekend, Lanerie has 31 wins and is followed by Miguel Mena (26), Julien Leparoux (25), Gabriel Saez (22), and Tyler Gaffalione (20).

Saturday marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Lanerie’s wife, Shantel, at age 42.

Among trainers, Steve Asmussen leads with 21 wins, followed by Eddie Kenneally (14) and Mike Maker (12).

◗ When Cecil Borel saddled Futile to win the third race Sunday at a $29.40 mutuel, it was his first victory in more than five years at Churchill and just his second since he returned to training. Calvin Borel, his younger brother, rode Futile. Cecil Borel took a hiatus of more than four years starting in August 2014.

◗ Global Campaign, a last-out winner of the May 11 Peter Pan over eventual Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston, has been entered in the Ohio Derby on Saturday after exiting his final pre-race breeze here last weekend in good shape.

◗ The lone stakes of the coming weekend at Churchill is the $120,000 Roxelana, to be run Saturday at six furlongs. Mia Mischief, a last-out winner of the Grade 1 Humana Distaff on Derby Day, figures as a solid favorite for Asmussen.

◗ Hogy, a multiple stakes-winning 10-year-old gelding, has been retired by owner Michael Hui to the Old Friends retirement farm in Georgetown, Ky. A longtime fan favorite, Hogy earned more than $1.3 million from 55 starts.

◗ Stewart Elliott has hired Tony King as his agent and plans to ride at Indiana Grand and Ellis Park when the Churchill meet ends June 29. Elliott, best known for his rides on Smarty Jones, has ridden 4,852 winners through Sunday.

◗ Members of the Churchill jockey colony will make their annual visit to Norton Children’s Hospital in downtown Louisville on Thursday afternoon.