Lanerie strong in 3-year-old department

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – It’s become old hat each winter for local riders like John Velazquez, Javier Castellano, and Joel Rosario to handle the combination of luxury and angst that comes with having first call on a number of top 3-year-olds on the road to the Kentucky Derby. But that experience is a new one for jockey Corey Lanerie, who is enjoying every minute of it.

Lanerie flew last Saturday to Fair Grounds, where he guided Mo Tom to an impressive victory for trainer Tom Amoss in the Grade 3 Lecomte. He also is the regular rider for Grade 1 winner Brody’s Cause, who closed out his 2-year-old campaign with a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and Cherry Wine, who captured a two-turn allowance race in impressive fashion earlier this month. Brody’s Cause and Cherry Wine are trained by Dale Romans.

“I’ve never really had high hopes in the past for any of the 3-year-olds I rode at this time of year, so being in this position, with three good ones right now, feels really great,” said Lanerie, whose only Kentucky Derby mount came aboard Harry’s Holiday in 2014. “Mo Tom is such a big, lanky horse. I think he’s growing into himself and getting better all the time. Cherry Wine hasn’t run a stakes yet, but he was real impressive winning here and is getting good at the right time. Brody’s Cause has already proven himself at the highest level.

“The good thing is it looks like they’ll all be staying apart for a while, so I’m just going to keep my fingers crossed, and hopefully we can sort them out and pick the right one.”

Mo Tom is scheduled to make his next start in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 20, Cherry Wine is being pointed for the Holy Bull Stakes here Jan. 30, and Brody’s Cause is expected to make his 3-year-old debut in the Tampa Bay Derby on March 12. Cherry Wine worked a half-mile in 48.95 seconds and Brody’s Cause the same distance in 47.75 here Monday. The work was the first for Brody’s Cause since the Breeders’ Cup.

Lanerie is off to a great start at the meet. He was fourth in the standings with 17 victories entering Monday’s program.

“I’ve won races for a handful of different people, not just the Kentucky trainers, which is great,” said Lanerie, who has won 10 riding titles at Churchill Downs. “I ride just about everything for Dale when I can, but like a lot of the Kentucky guys, he doesn’t usually run much the first month of the meet. I just hope we can keep this up throughout the rest of the winter.”

◗ Edgard Zayas, the leading rider at the Gulfstream Park West meeting, has rebounded from a slow start at this meet and vaulted into eighth place in the standings. He rode four winners on Sunday’s program, including the undefeated 3-year-old filly Dearest, who captured the featured ninth race for trainer Gilberto Zerpa.

◗ Former jockey Bill Boland is on the road to recovery after suffering head injuries in an accident at a golf course in Palm Coast, Fla., where he resides, according to Bill Hirsch Jr. Hirsch is the grandson of Max Hirsch, the trainer of Middleground, who won the 1950 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes with Boland aboard. Boland, 82, was inducted into the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame in 2006.