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Chocolate takes Fair Grounds foes for a Ride

Chocolate Ride proved hard to catch over the Fair Grounds turf (Amanada Weir Hodges/Hodges Photography) John Wentworth's Chocolate Ride (Candy Ride) was overlooked at 13-1 in his stakes debut in Saturday's $125,000 Fair Grounds H. (G3), but the reformed claimer sprang a wire-to-wire upset in the crafty hands of Florent Geroux. Trained by Brad Cox, Chocolate Ride was the middle leg of a stakes triple for Geroux, who also guided Eden Prairie (Mizzen Mast) to victory in the Bayou S. and I'm a Chatterbox (Munnings) in the Rachel Alexandra (G3). The five-year-old gelding was most recently victorious in a February 7 allowance over this same course and about nine-furlong trip. Although Geroux was aboard that day, he was scheduled to pilot Villandry (Mr. Greeley) in the Fair Grounds ‘Cap. Villandry was an early scratch, however, and Geroux switched to Chocolate Ride. After breaking on top, Chocolate Ride dictated fractions of :24 1/5, :49 and 1:13 1/5 on the firm turf, and ratcheted up the tempo to spurt clear in the stretch. Glenard (Arch) rallied valiantly from far back to reduce the gap to 1 3/4 lengths at the wire, but Chocolate Ride was long gone. The winner stopped the clock in 1:48 4/5, not far off the 1:48 1/5 course record owned by Mystery Giver since 2004, and sparked a $28.20 win payout.

"Just goes to show us that he's improving significantly right now," assistant trainer Ricky Giannini said. "You know what they say -- when the horses are doing good, you have to run them -- there's no reason to keep them in the barn. Obviously the (Mervin H.) Muniz (Memorial [G2] on March 28) will be the target now being the same distance and track and he has two wins here now.

"Happy to have Florent on him too -- he's doing so good here and knows this horse really well."

"My horse broke sharp and I just let him do his thing," Geroux recapped. "No one wanted to go with him, so I took advantage. I was able to slow him down and when I asked him down the lane he really took off. My horse ran great."

When asked if he looked over at the jumbotron to see how far he was in front: "Yeah, why not?  It's a big TV and it's here for that, I guess."

Pyrite Mountain (Silent Name) crossed the wire a further 2 3/4 lengths astern in third. Highball (Lemon Drop Kid), who was in striking position early, retreated to fourth. Reigning Muniz champion Skyring (English Channel), who missed by a nose in the 2014 Fair Grounds' Cap, faded to last of 10 as the 5-2 favorite.

Bred by Brian Kahn in Kentucky, Chocolate Ride sold for $260,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. He was dropped in for a $40,000 tag at Churchill Downs November 21, and his current connections promptly claimed him from owner John C. Oxley and trainer Mark Casse. Third that day on the main track, Chocolate Ride reverted to turf for his new barn. He was second in an entry-level allowance at Fair Grounds December 21, a distant last in a similar event that was rained off the turf January 17, and a convincing 3 ˝-length winner last time. His scorecard now stands at 11-3-2-2, $162,191.

Chocolate Ride is a half-brother to Grade 1 queen Killer Graces (Congaree). Their dam, the winning Heatherdoesntbluff (Old Trieste), is also responsible for the multiple stakes-placed Rockin Heather (In Excess).

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