Montpellier gets 1,000th victory

Jockey Constant Montpellier recorded his 1,000th career victory aboard D Girl in Blue in the first race Wednesday night at Woodbine.

D Girl in Blue, a first-time starter trained by Dave Cotey, rallied along the rail to prevail by a neck after running greenly in the seven-furlong race for $20,000 maiden 2-year-old fillies.

Montpellier, a 43-year-old native of Dorion, Quebec, reached 1,000 victories with 7,819 rides. His mounts have earned more than $32.3 million.

Montpellier won his first race aboard Briartic Ruler at Fort Erie in 1991. He was voted the Sovereign Award for top apprentice in 1993, and was the regular rider of Win City, Canada's Horse of the Year in 2001.