Julien Leparoux to ride Daddy Nose Best in the Preakness Stakes
The Eclipse Award-winning jockey Julien Leparoux will be reunited with Steven Asmussen trained colt, Daddy Nose Best, in the Grade 1, $1 million Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on 19 May, 2012.
The middle jewel of the Triple Crown will be run over a distance of 1 3/16 miles, as the million dollar event has reeled in 11 sophomore colts in which 6 Derby contenders will contest for the race, and Daddy Nose Best is one of them, finishing 10th
in the Kentucky Derby on 5 May, 2012, at Churchill Downs.
Julien Leparoux parted ways for the Kentucky Derby, as he opted for a ride on the Michael Matz trained Union Rags, but after Chadds Ford Stable owned colt’s disappointing run in the Derby, his connections called off the Preakness run, and that left Leparoux
without a ride.
Julien Leparoux has ridden Daddy Nose Best on eight occasions, helping the colt break his maiden, and winning a mile long allowance race at Churchill Downs last season.
This season, the duo has been an inspiration; as Julien Leparoux and Daddy Nose Best have gone on to win twice in as many starts together.
Daddy Nose Best was ridden by Garrett Gomez in the Grade 1, $2 million Kentucky Derby, and after a troubled trip, the 3-year-old Scat Daddy colt finished a dismal 10th to winner, I’ll Have Another.
It wasn’t an easy decision for Steven Asmussen to try Daddy Nose Best in the Preakness Stakes after his unimpressive performance in the Kentucky Derby, and according to owner Bob Zollars, it took Asmussen a week to decide.
“We just determined that we felt like he had completely bounced back,” Zollars said. “As much as you can make a determination of that, he appears to be ready to go. It’s a short turnaround. I was concerned how well he would bounce back. We’ve done blood
work on him and checked him out. He’s very perky, so we think that he’s ready to run again.”
Leparoux guided Daddy Nose Best to win the Grade 3 El Camino Derby at Golden Gate Fields, and then the all important Grade 3 Sunland Derby at Sunland Park prior to the Derby.
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