Melancon, Monte Man make for strong team

Jockey Gerard Melancon has had more stakes success on reigning Louisiana-bred of the year Monte Man than any other rider, and on Saturday the pair will be out to defend their title in the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Sprint at Louisiana Downs.

Melancon and Monte Man will be invading from Evangeline Downs, where they won the $75,000 Louisiana Legends Sprint on May 25. It was the fourth stakes race Melancon has won aboard Monte Man from five starts with the horse. The partnership dates to February 2018.

“He’s so versatile,” Melancon said. “You can do pretty much whatever you want with him.”

Melancon and Monte Man’s first start together doubled as the horse’s first stakes win, in the Premier Night Sprint at Delta Downs. They also teamed to take last year’s Louisiana Legends Sprint and Louisiana Cup Sprint during a streak in which Monte Man won seven straight races between December 2017 and November 2018 – all for Ivery Sisters Racing and trainer Ron Faucheux.

Saturday, a first- or second-place finish will put Monte Man over $500,000 in career earnings.

Melancon himself is getting closer to a career milestone. He had won 4,831 races through Tuesday. In all, Melancon has had 30,990 mounts and those horses have earned a combined $84 million, according to Daily Racing Form statistics.

“I’d like to get to 5,000,” Melancon said. “I’m 52, still healthy and strong.”

Melancon said he has no immediate plans to retire, but he has a business venture in place for the future. And it’s one that complements his love of cooking. He and his wife operate bed and breakfasts.

“We have a couple and really enjoy it,” he said. “We might start a couple of more before I retire.”

Melancon will be active on Friday night’s card at his base of Evangeline. Among his mounts is Sunnyonastormyday in the featured eighth race. Saturday at Louisiana Downs he will ride both Monte Man and Eden Grey’s Kitten, who runs in the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Turf Classic.

Following the close of the Evangeline meet on Aug. 29, Melancon said he will ride some at Louisiana Downs then base at Delta Downs. He is looking forward to the Saturday trip to Louisiana Downs, where in 2004 he won the Grade 2 Super Derby with Fantasticat.

“Fantasticat was one of my happiest wins ever, because that was a dream of mine since I was a kid, to win the Super Derby,” Melancon said. “As an apprentice, I was there when Laffit Pincay came in and rode Sunny’s Halo. I just admired [Pincay] so much. He was such an idol to me, and so many others, and when he won that race, I said, ‘I’d like to win the Super Derby one day.’ ”

Melancon, a native of Rayne, La., captured the Grade 1 Vosburgh in 2002 aboard Bonapaw. Other major wins for the rider include a pair of runnings of the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot, aboard Sabercat in 2011 and Rise Up in 2013. Melancon’s stakes winners this year include Underpressure in the Evangeline Downs Classic.

Melancon’s son, jockey Jansen Melancon, is riding in New Mexico and this fall will be based at Zia Park. Last Sunday, Jansen captured the $50,000 Road Runner Stakes at Ruidoso Downs.