Julien Leparoux

Into Champagne (Into Mischief) debuted a 6 3/4-length winner last summer and achieved 'TDN Rising Star' status for her efforts when the Churchill Downs meet was forced to shift to Ellis Park. Returning to the worktab in early November after nearly a five-month break, the filly was well-backed as the 3-5 choice. Tracking Let Them Watch (Maximus Mischief) from the second flight along the rail, the 3-year-old bided her time under a firm hold into the far turn. With a half-mile of :45.91, at the quarter pole the bay uncorked...

Junior Alvarado, Alex Birzer, Julien Leparoux, Edwin Maldonado and Rodney Prescott were selected as finalists for the 2024 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, 1/ST Racing said in a release Wednesday morning. Presented by Santa Anita Park, the Woolf Award, which itself is a replica of the life-sized statue which adorns Santa Anita's Paddock Gardens area, is determined by a vote of jockeys nationwide. It can only be won once. The winner of the 75th annual prize will be announced in February. Named in honor of the legendary late jockey George...

Wonder Ride (Gun Runner) is by one of the best sires in the sport and comes from a winning barn in the Kenny McPeek stable. But Saratoga bettors overlooked her in Sunday's first race, a seven-furlong dirt maiden for 2-year-old fillies. She was sent off at 10-1. You probably won't get 10-1 again on her anytime soon. Ridden by Julien Leparoux, Wonder Ride was never far back, but the jockey remained patient. She got rolling near the top of the stretch, split horses and then took over in the final...

Into Champagne (f, 2, Into Mischief--Bedford Land, by Speightstown) sat a trip handy to the pace, pounced when produced and galloped away from her rivals in the late stages to complete a sweep of the afternoon's 2-year-old filly maidens for her unstoppable sire at Ellis Park and earn the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction in the process. Drawn wide for the debut, the $300,000 Keeneland September yearling showed enough speed to sit close to a good early pace and traveled strongly while traveling comfortably for Julien Leparoux. Going ominously well behind...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY - By far, the most enthusiastic applause during the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame induction ceremony Friday morning was for a video clip of race that everyone in the audience likely had seen many times. Beholder's (Henny Hughes) career-capping victory by a nose over the previously unbeaten champion Songbird (Medaglia d'Oro) in the 2016 GI Breeder's Cup Distaff was nearly as gripping on the big screen at the Fasig-Tipton sales pavilion as it was live at Santa Anita Park. For sheer drama it ranks with...

Jockey Julien Leparoux as the winner of the 2022 Mike Venezia Memorial Award, NYRA announced Friday. He was chosen by a committee comprised of members of the Venezia family, representatives of The Jockeys' Guild and retired Eclipse Award-winning jockey Richard Migliore. Leparoux will be recognized in a winner's circle ceremony at Saratoga Aug. 12. The Mike Venezia Memorial Award is presented annually to a jockey who displays the extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship that personified Venezia, who died as the result of injuries suffered in a spill in 1988. Venezia, a...

Jockeys Joe Bravo, Glenn Corbett, Julien Leparoux, Rodney Prescott and Tim Thornton make up the list of finalists for the prestigious 2022 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award. Presented annually by Santa Anita since 1950, the award--named for the legendary and highly respected George "The Iceman" Woolf--"recognizes those riders whose careers and personal character garner esteem for the individual and the sport of Thoroughbred racing." Voted on by jockeys nationwide, the Woolf Award winner will be announced in February.

Hall of Fame riders John Velazquez and Mike Smith were re-elected as co-chairmen at the Jockeys' Guild's annual meeting, which was held virtually Dec. 7. The riders in attendance also re-elected Javier Castellano and Julien Leparoux, along with newly elected Quarter Horse jockey James Flores, as vice-chairs; Joel Campbell as treasurer; and Rodney Prescott as secretary. In addition, Alex Birzer, Joe Bravo, and Drayden Van Dyke were re-elected to the board of directors. The members reviewed 2021 financials and the 2022 budget and had a variety of speakers including Senator...

Junior Alvarado, Julien Leparoux, Deshawn Parker, Gerard Melancon and Scott Stevens are finalists for the 2021 Mike Venezia Memorial Award, the New York Racing Association announced Sunday. Created in 1989, the Mike Venezia Memorial Award is awarded to a jockey who displays the extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship that personified Venezia, who died as the result of injuries suffered in a spill in 1988. Venezia, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., won more than 2,300 races during his 25-year career. All active jockeys in the continental U.S. are eligible to vote for...

'TDN Rising Star' and GII Risen Star S. hero Mandaloun (Into Mischief) and D J Stable's Helium (Ironicus), upset winner of the GII Tampa Bay Derby, each tuned up for their upcoming starts in the GI Kentucky Derby May 1 with Saturday morning drills over the Churchill Downs main track. Working in the company of his fellow graded-stakes winning Juddmonte colorbearer Bonny South (Munnings), Mandaloun went five furlongs in :58.80 in splits of :23.40 and :46.60 before galloping out three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.40 and seven-eighths in 1:25.60, according...

Saturday, Keeneland APPALACHIAN S. PRESENTED BY JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION-GII, $150,000, Keeneland, 7-11, 3yo, f, 1mT, 1:33.97, fm. 1--ENOLA GAY, 118, f, 3, by Uncle Mo 1st Dam: Dakota Queen, by War Front 2nd Dam: Moon Queen (Ire), by Sadler's Wells 3rd Dam: Infamy (Ire), by Shirley Heights (GB) 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($90,000  RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP). O-Allen Stable Inc; B-Mr Joseph Allen LLC (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III; J-Julien R Leparoux. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $174,000. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report &...

JULIEN LEPAROUX, JOCKEY Favorite: My favorite racehorse is Tepin (Bernstein). What she accomplished in her career was amazing and it was an honor to be a part of it. She was also a sweet filly to be around, very playful. She loved to play with my whip when I put it in my back pocket, taking it from me and chewing it. Best: The best horse for me that I watched was Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). The way he won his races against very good fields was just amazing. JOHN...