Frenchman vs. Florida

by Ed Meyer

posted on November 16, 2009 in General Discussion | 3 Comments >>

Once in a while, a great rider is served up a little dish of humility. That rider was Julien Leparoux, who had six mounts on Florida Million Day. They all looked good, but the three wins the following week made Leparoux look even better.

Don’t get me wrong, I did not drink the Kool-Aid.. I love this guy as rider.. But, on the Florida circuit there are some tough riders that toil day in and day out on that track. They know the in’s and out’s. Sometimes this can be the difference between winning and losing.

I made my way out to the track to drop a few wagers on Leparoux. He looked great, and the day looked like a slam.. That was until they ran the races. I ran into a W/P handicapper, and he was dialed in on the “Frenchman” in Florida. So, away we went to the windows.

Here is a glimpse of his day:

Race #4 – he ran third on #2 Winsockie in the John Franks / 100k 1 1/16th on the turf.. Antonio Gallardo got the best of him here.

Race #5 – he ran 3rd on big favorite Mr. Green. – Jeffrey Sanchez went to the winner’s circle.

Race #7 – he ran 2nd on #3 Family Foundation in the Jack Price / 150k. Long time Florida rider rider Eibar Coa was winner.

Race #8 – Julien ran a dismal 5th aboard #7 Rate of Exchange in the 150 k / Jack Dudley. Eibar Coa winner again.

Race #9 – he finished second in the 200k / Elmer Heubeck 1 1/16th. Manny Cruz proved why he stays in Florida.

Race #10 – Leparoux finished out the day with a 2nd place effort aboard #3 Pickapocket. Manny Cruz once again the victor.

I love the guy, don’t get me wrong… I think he will be a future big-time rider that we will record in the history books. But, one thing I may have left out was that the Florida riders had a little something more to ride for. They used their track knowledge, and dug in deep to hold off the visiting rider. Leparoux, known as the “Frenchman” to his many fans, was just a little short on this day. I can’t figure out what the problem really was, and this is the only answer that I can come up with… Well, it happens, and the best part is that when he returns, he will be ahead of the game.

Chalk one up to the home team.