Fair Grounds Barn Notes: Saturday, November 18

By Michael Adolphson —-

• Chublicious Could Chow Down in Thanksgiving
• Geroux Geared Up for Riding Title Defense
• Jenda’s Agenda Back in Training
• Yockey’s Warrior After a Second Helping in Thanksgiving

CHUBLICIOUS COULD CHOW DOWN IN THANKSGIVING

Graded stakes-winning Chublicious has adapted nicely to his new surroundings, according to trainer Ron Faucheux, and is on target for Thursday’s $75,000 Thanksgiving Handicap said his new conditioner.

Privately purchased recently by Evelyn Benoit’s Brittlyn Stables, the New Jersey-bred son of Hey Chub was an impressive winner last out of the Grade III DeFrancis Memorial Dash at Laurel Park, defeating multiple graded stakes winner Whitmore by nearly two lengths in the process.

“He’s really blossomed since he got to the Fair Grounds,” Faucheux said. “I got him a couple weeks after the (Sept. 16) DeFrancis Dash. Right now his color is the best he’s been since I’ve had him and he seems to be feeling better than he has since I got him. He is peaking at the right time. He carries good energy and is race-ready, which is nice to see since he ran a big race last time.

“The timing of this race is perfect for him,” Faucheux continued. “We haven’t trained him too hard and he’s really fit right now. His two works over this track have been great. I know Yockey’s Warrior is a really nice horse and will be hard to beat, but I’m confident we’ll show up.”

Faucheux will attempt to win his third Thanksgiving, having taken the high-attendance holiday feature twice (2011 and 2013) with Brittlyn’s popular gelding Gantry, who remains a pony in the Faucheux barn.
Chublicious, a 10-time winner from 23 starts and nine-time winner at the Thanksgiving’s six-furlong trip, will break from post two under recent record-setting Arlington International Racecourse jockey title winner Jose Valdivia, Jr.

GEROUX GEARED UP FOR RIDING TITLE DEFENSE

Two-time defending Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots champion jockey Florent Geroux is ready for an attempt at the hat trick and is stacked with seven rides on the 10-race opening day card. The native of Normandy, France, is fresh off the biggest win in his career when guiding Fair Grounds-based 2016 Louisiana Derby winner Gun Runner to victory in the Grade I $6-million Breeders’ Cup Classic. Said victory made the Three Chimneys Farm and Winchell Thoroughbreds-owned and Steve Asmussen-trained son of Candy Ride the likely Horse of the Year for 2017.

“I’m ready for a big season, hopefully, and I feel good,” Geroux said. “The Classic was an amazing experience, but that is the past and now I look forward to the next race, not only with Gun Runner, but with every horse. Every race is important and I’m ready to ride hard no matter where I’m riding.
“I think I come in with the same confidence as the last few years,” Geroux continued. “When you ride the right horses in a good spot, you’re in good shape and hopefully that happens. Today I’m pretty confident. There are a few horses I have never ridden, but I have been on Wheatfield and on’tmesswithjoanne and they both are good fillies. I also think Trust Factor will be tough. All of my horses have good chances and I look forward to today and the rest of the meet.”

Going into Saturday’s card, Geroux has 159 victories in 2017, has struck at 18% and garnered purses just under $13.5 million. In the last category, he is ranked seventh in the nation in purses, with only Jose Ortiz, Javier Castellano, Irad Ortiz Jr., Mike Smith, John Velazquez and Joel Rosario ahead of him.

Last season, Geroux earned 98 victories, demolishing his competition by a 37-win gap back to Robby Albarado. The year prior, 2015-16, it was a 21-win gap back to Mitchell Murrill when earning 87 victories.

JENDA’S AGENDA BACK IN TRAINING

One of the more promising 3-year-old fillies last season during the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots meet is on the comeback trail for trainer and co-owner Larry Jones. Undefeated Jenda’s Agenda, a perfect 3-for-3 and a stakes winner, is back training and aiming toward a 4-year-old season.

“She obviously had some issues and we backed off on her,” Jones said. “She’s back in training and doing well. She’s about to gallop and we’re happy with her. We still think the world of her and she’s undefeated.”

A compact and flashy filly with early speed and a solid late kick, the well-bred daughter of Proud Citizen and Jones-trained and -owned graded stakes winner Just Jenda crushed her foes on debut, winning a Jan. 7 six-furlong maiden in New Orleans by 6¼ lengths in 1:10.75. Following said event, she was partially sold to longtime Jones client Fox Hill Farm.

Jenda’s Agenda returned on Feb. 19 in Fair Grounds allowance company to impressively defeat well-regarded filly Stonetacular by a length in her two-turn debut. Next out, she shipped to Laurel Park and easily bested stakes foes in the $100,000 Caesar’s Wish going a one-turn mile, closing her final quarter-mile in 24.40 seconds.

YOCKEY’S WARRIOR AFTER A SECOND HELPING IN THANKSGIVING

Defending champion Yockey’s Warrior appears set for a repeat performance in the Thanksgiving Handicap on Thursday if his Friday work was any indication. The son of Warrior’s Reward worked a sharp half-mile in 49.20, good for 14th-best of 68 drills at the distance. A week prior he worked the same distance 48.40.

“He really looks good right now,” trainer Al Stall Jr. said. “He really likes it here at the Fair Grounds. He’s on schedule, let’s put it that way, and came out great from his workout yesterday.”
Co-owned by Stall, the 5-year-old returned from a six-month layoff last out to win a Keeneland allowance by 1¾ lengths. Last year’s Thanksgiving was arguably his best performance when overpowering a field by 2¼ lengths that included subsequent Gulfstream Park track record setter and multiple graded stakes winner Clearly Now. Miguel Mena, who has won four of five with the six-time winner from 13 starts, returns to ride from post four.