Geroux Secures Mounts on Ete Indien, Sole Volante

Jockey Florent Geroux has picked up key mounts in Triple Crown trail preps aboard Ete Indien in the Feb. 29 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park and Sole Volante in the March 7 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) at Tampa Bay Downs, agent Doug Bredar said Feb. 22.

The mounts on the two Patrick Biancone-trained runners became available after the colts' regular rider, Luca Panici, broke his collarbone in a fall in the 10th race at Gulfstream Park Feb. 21. Panici was unseated from his mount, Terrible Tara, when she made contact with the inner rail during the second turn of a one-mile turf race. Terrible Tara raced loose thereafter and was apprehended by a track outrider.

The injury is expected to keep Panici sidelined for about a month.

Ete Indien, a Summer Front  3-year-old colt owned by Linda Shanahan, Sanford Bacon, Dream With Me Stable, Horse France America, D P Racing, and Patrick L. Biancone Racing, was most recently second under Panici in the Feb. 1 Holy Bull Stakes (G3) behind Tiz the Law at Gulfstream. That followed a Dec. 20 allowance-level victory at Gulfstream.

Sole Volante, a 3-year-old Karakontie  gelding, upset favored Independence Hall under Panici in his most recent start in the Sam. F. Davis Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs. He is owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Limelight Stables, and the trainer's daughter and assistant, Andie Biancone.

"Wishing a speedy recovery to our jock @LPanici who has been a monumental person in the development of both Sole Volante, and Ete Indien," Andie Biancone tweeted. "Luca has been working these horses since the very beginning, and although we're gutted by the news, we hope to see him back in the irons soon!"

Geroux, who last week won another Road to the Kentucky Derby prep, the first division of the Feb. 15 Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots with Mr. Monomoy, similarly lost coveted rides last fall when he missed the Breeders' Cup as a result of a sternum injury suffered during a training accident at Keeneland in October.

French-born Geroux and Patrick Biancone are longtime friends, and it was for Biancone that Geroux initially worked as an exercise rider in the U.S. Biancone introduced Geroux to Bredar, forming their jockey/agent partnership.