Leparoux Rides Five Churchill Downs Winners, Takes Feature on Complicity

May 23, 2009 Gary Yunt

Jockey Julien Leparoux rode five winners from eight mounts on Friday and capped his day at Churchill Downs by guiding Complicity to a 1 ¾-length victory over Hungry Tigress in the featured $52,270 Ever After Purse for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up.

Leparoux, who has won four riding titles at Churchill Downs in his brief career, ran his victory total to 32 after 19 days of racing and owns a 12-win lead over Miguel Mena in the race for leading rider.

Three of Leparoux’s victories came for trainer Mike Maker, who conditions Complicity. Leparoux’s other winners for Maker were Lt.jg Ramsey ($7.40) in the fourth and Sister Lou Ann ($7.40) in the sixth. Leparoux also won the third on Yikes ($7.60) and the seventh on Bambolina ($3.80).

It was the third five-win day under the Twin Spires for Leparoux, a 25-year-old native of Senlis, France, who began riding in 2005. Leparoux also had a seven-win day at Churchill Downs last Nov. 11, and a six-win day on June 27, 2007.

Complicity, a 3-year-old Kentucky-bred filly by City Zip, covered the mile on a firm Matt Winn Turf Course in 1:36 in turning back six rivals. The victory was worth $32,105 and increased Complicity’s career earnings to $95,453 with three wins in nine starts.

Owned by F. Thomas Conway, Bill Gough, Charlie Moore and Trey Thornton, Complicity returned mutuels of $16.20, $6.80 and $5. Hungry Tigress, ridden by Corey Lanerie, returned $5.60 and $3.80, with Abbott Hall, ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., finishing another three-quarters of a length back and paying $4 to show.

Racing resumes Saturday with an 11-race program headlined by the 72^nd running of the Louisville Handicap (Grade III) at 1 ½ miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course. First post time is 12:45 p.m. EDT.

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