Top jockeys finish 1-2 in Hagyard Fayette Stakes

Julien Leparoux and Florent Geroux reached the wire in the Grade II Hagyard Fayette Stakes on Saturday 1-2 on Noble Bird and Divining Rod, in the same order they finished in the jockey standings for the meet.

The sensation they created, with Geroux’s mount chasing Leparoux’s through the stretch, wasn’t the only event of note in this 1 1/2-mile run in track record time over the Keeneland dirt. With Noble Bird stopping the clock in 1:47.75, shaving .15 seconds off a record set in this race last year, more was happening: owner John Oxley was winning his third stakes of the meet, the Mark Casse stable its fourth and Leparoux his fourth.

Noble Bird now has won two consecutive attempts at 1 1/8 miles, setting himself up for the Clark Handicap in November at Churchill Downs. He looked unbeatable at that distance Saturday, drawing off from Divining Rod by 5 3/4 lengths. As favorite in the field of eight, he returned a $4 win mutual.

Leparoux was amused at the suggestion Geroux followed him home in the order they were closing out the meet in the jockey ranks.

“He’s always chasing me. I keep telling him that,” Leparoux said jokingly. He did not know it was Geroux behind him, however, until the end of the race “when I just looked back and saw it was him.”

Noble Bird took the lead from Mr. Z in the first turn and raced in front, along the rail, the rest of the way. Leparoux rode the 5-year-old horse, a son of Birdstone, as though the jockey race depended on this one. Divining Rod was never far back and gained second on the far turn and turning for home Divining Rod gave just a hint that he might pull closer to Noble Bird.

It failed to happen. Noble Bird widened his lead in the stretch. Another 5 3/4 lengths behind second-placed Divining Rod came Hawaakom, finishing in third after closing from last place.

This story was originally published October 29, 2016 at 7:33 PM with the headline "Top jockeys finish 1-2 in Hagyard Fayette Stakes."