By Bill Finley
The daughter of one of France's most renowned jockeys and a winner of 23 races, apprentice Megane Peslier seemed poised to have a big year this year in her native country. Instead, she will be riding at Gulfstream Park, hoping to become the latest rising star in the jockey ranks to come out of France.
“It is one of the reasons I came here, if they can be successful I think I can be too,” she said of the trio of Flavien Prat, Julien Leparoux and Florent Geroux. “If I don't believe in myself, I can't do my job.”
Peslier, the 26-year-old daughter of Olivier Peslier, arrived in the U.S. in January. Last week, she announced her intention to remain in Florida and ride there year-round.
“I wanted an experience that is different from Europe,” she said. “It is totally different here. It is a big change. I think this will be good for my career.”
Peslier was born in Franc,e but lived in Argentina with her mother until she was 12. When she returned to France, she didn't speak the language and was fluent only in Spanish. After earning her baccalaureate, she decided to pursue a career as an actress, the reason why she was late to start her riding career.
“I went to Paris to become an actress and I attended acting school,” she said. “I liked it, but it wasn't my passion. My passion was the horses. Being a jockey is easier for me than being an actress because it is my passion.”
After deciding she wanted to be a jockey, she started out slowly, beginning in amateur races in 2017 and won her first race in 2018. Working with trainer David Smaga, she made her professional debut on July 23, 2020 at Longchamp and won with her first mount, Saphirside (Ire) (Elusive City). According to equineline.com, Peslier won 23 races in France from 308 mounts.
Peslier is not the first young European rider to come to Florida for the winter. It can be an important learning experience. But most return to their native countries once the flat season begins in Europe. Not Peslier. She has hired a lawyer and is in the process of obtaining a visa that will allow her to stay.
Her father is on board.
“He said that if I am happy doing this, he is happy,” Peslier said. “He agreed with my decision. The last time I talked to him he said that if I thought this would be good for me, then I should take my chance.”
She started out galloping horses for, among others, Todd Pletcher, and picked up her first mount Feb. 16, finishing seventh in a claiming race. Two mounts later, she finished second in a Mar. 10 maiden claimer, losing by just a neck aboard Blame the Vets (Kitten's Joy) for trainer Michael Mullings. Through Thursday, she had had four mounts.
She has also been working for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and said he has indicated he will be giving her some rides.
“I am very happy here,” she said. “I am learning some new techniques.”
Still eligible for a seven-pound weight allowance, Peslier's hope is that she can break out after Gulfstream's Championship Meet is over, when the competition among jockeys is not quite so fierce.
“The competition will be less then,” she said. “I think that will be a very good thing for me. I am confident I will do well.”
Her father is a former French riding champion, a four-time winner of the GI Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and he won three straight runnings of the GI Breeders' Cup Mile aboard Goldikova (Ire)(Anabaa). That's exactly what his daughter is hoping for, that she can compete at the highest level. She's here to try to make that happen.
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