Corrales, Geroux Return to Churchill Downs Breeders’ Cup Winners

Nov 05, 2023 Kevin Kerstein

Local jockeys Gerardo Corrales and Florent Geroux returned to Churchill Downs on Sunday from Santa Anita Park, bringing with them Breeders’ Cup victories from this year’s World Championship event that took place Friday and Saturday in Southern California.

Corrales, who rode in his first Breeders’ Cup race Saturday, piloted the Larry Rivelli-trained Nobals to victory in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (GI). Three races earlier, Geroux rode Idiomatic to a half-length victory in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI) for local trainer Brad Cox.

“I was feeling great turning for home,” Geroux said. “I thought I was traveling a little better than some of the speed. I gave (Idiomatic) a breather around the far turn and good thing I did because I needed every little bit of it the last eighth of a mile. … It’s incredible winning this race again. We did it twice with Monomoy Girl and it’s just incredibly special.”

Corrales, a multiple leading rider at Turfway Park and Ellis Park, had previously ridden Nobals to a three-quarters of a length victory in the Twin Spires Turf Sprint (GII) at Churchill Downs earlier this year.

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity and very proud to partner with the team for such an important race,” Corrales said in an interview with Spanish-speaking media outlet Agentes 305. “The pace was in my favor because there was a lot of speed. The instructions (Rivelli) gave me was to follow the speed and everything worked out as we had planned when we entered the stretch. I had to make somewhat of a risky decision going inside and I took advantage of the fact that I had a lot of horse. I knew at that point I could win the race because the horse showed me he was ready when I called on him to run.

“I know there are a lot of people rooting for me – my dad, my mom, my brother and my wife and all my fans in Panama and Venezuela. Thank you to everyone.”

DOWN THE STRETCH – Racing resumed Sunday at Churchill Downs for a nine-race card with a first post of 1 p.m. ET. … The Derby City 6 Jackpot had one winning ticket Saturday and returned $60,390. The pool will start over for racing Sunday. … Following dark days Monday and Tuesday, live racing will resume on a Wednesday-Sunday schedule with daily first posts of 1 p.m. … Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (GI) winner Fiercenessis scheduled to return to Todd Pletcher’s Barn 39 at Churchill Downs in the coming days before shipping to his winter base at Palm Beach Downs in South Florida.