Carroll, Melancon to Retire After March 24 Rides

Jockeys Declan Carroll and Gerard Melancon have the final mounts of their riding careers March 24 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots on the closing day of that track's meet.

Melancon, 56, a winner of 5,117 races through March 19, retires after four decades in the saddle. Carroll, 23, began riding in 2018, posting 207 victories.

Both riders come from families involved in horse racing. Melancon's son, Jansen, is a jockey, and Carroll is the son of horsepeople Kim and David Carroll, the latter a former jockey and trainer.

Melancon and Carroll plan to remain in racing. Melancon told Daily Racing Form he would become a jockey agent.

Carroll posted on X, the social platform formerly known as Twitter, that he has taken a position with trainer Cherie DeVaux and David Ingordo's bloodstock operation. DeVaux and Ingordo are married and frequently work together in racing endeavors.

In a social media post, DeVaux welcomed Declan and also his parents to “Team CD."

We are so excited to welcome not only @dcjock1 to our team but also @casseracingdc and @kimpossibleky14 to Team CD. All add invaluable experience and we can’t wait to see what the future holds. We do need to get Declan spelling my last name correctly! https://t.co/n9uOcYf5kA

— Cherie DeVaux (@reredevaux) March 20, 2024

Carroll thanked horsemen, agents, valets, and others. He tweeted that "he couldn't be happier to start my next chapter."

Melancon rode primarily in Louisiana through his riding career, while Carroll plied his trade in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana, and for the past couple of years, in Toronto at Woodbine.

Carroll's final ride is on McAvoy  for Mark Casse in Sunday's fourth race at Fair Grounds; Melancon pilots Good N Sassy  in the 13th race.