Rather than make his regular move to Fair Grounds following the end of the Churchill Downs meet late last month, the jockey Florent Geroux followed a far different path. The Japan Racing Association granted Geroux a short-term license spanning Dec. 5-31 and Geroux has taken the opportunity to expand his horizons.
Geroux, who said he will probably wind up back in New Orleans during January, had a trio of second-place finishes and two thirds through Dec. 11 but no winners from his first 18 Japanese mounts. He secured a big race ride this weekend aboard Angelitas in the Group 1 Hanshin Fillies.
Geroux, 39, has ridden 75 winners this year in North America, his lowest total since 2010. His mounts have earned $10.3 million, roughly half as much as during his peak year, 2021. He earned another $7 million in purses through Hit Show’s victory in the $12 million Dubai World Cup. Geroux’s fortunes rose with the success of trainer Brad Cox, who became his major patron in 2018. During 2021, Geroux rode 97 winners – 31 in stakes – for Cox, but this season the two have partnered for just 38 wins, 10 in stakes.
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