Florent Geroux Targets Fresh Momentum With Japan Mission
Elle
Dec 18th 2025
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Florent Geroux’s 2024 season has taken him across continents, through unexpected turns, and into a year-end push that now places him in Japan horse racing for a short winter assignment. The French-born rider, long established in the United States as a dependable and high-level jockey, views this late-season move as a chance to reset after months that were unusual even by racing’s standards.
His year has been a roller coaster with his experiences and accomplishments being influenced by both local and global happenings. A change in the results of the 2021 Kentucky Derby by the racing officials gave him the top spot in the race he ran on Mandaloun, which was only made public in early 2024. The verdict was handed down nearly three years after the race was run as a result of Medina Spirit’s disqualification. For Florent Geroux, it was an experience that felt almost unreal. He had crossed the Churchill Downs finish line in second place, accepted that outcome, and moved forward. Then, in February, the review changed the record books and granted him the victory. Florent Geroux referred to the case as strange, as one of those instances in racing that almost no jockeys encounter.
After a couple of months, he upgraded his career record with yet another impressive headline-grabbing performance in G1 Dubai World Cup. Here, the winner was chosen by the live run and the competition pushed him to utilize his full mastery. Hit Show, considered a long shot by bookmakers in Britain and by the international betting pools, lagged behind as the field reached the home straight. With the leaders still clear at the 200-meter mark, a minor placing seemed the upper limit. Instead, Florent Geroux urged the horse through a late surge that carried him past Mixto and into first place. The win delivered one of the year’s richest prizes, a share of a purse worth nearly seven million dollars.
Hit Show’s odds only added to the surprise. Punters gave the horse little chance against the favoured Forever Young, who had already secured major titles in the Saudi Cup and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. Florent Geroux’s victory was a boost for Wathnan Racing, the ascending Qatari ownership group, and for the Brad Cox barn, where he has ridden several leading horses. For many, that Dubai success should have set the stage for a dominant season.
Florent Geroux came into 2024 with a resume that very few jockeys could rival. He had in his career already won the Pegasus World Cup, several Breeders’ Cup races, and Arlington Million. His work with Cox had paired him with stars such as Gun Runner, Monomoy Girl and Idiomatic. For more than a decade, he had delivered well over one hundred wins in each season and ranked inside the top ten for earnings in North America for five straight years.
Those markers made it natural to predict an upward curve following his Dubai World Cup triumph. Instead, the year unfolded in a different direction. Opportunities that usually follow major wins did not arrive with the same consistency. His totals dipped, and the season never gathered the usual rhythm that had defined his previous campaigns. In interviews, Florent Geroux has acknowledged the unexpected nature of the year, noting that racing careers often shift in ways that defy logic.
That backdrop is part of why his decision to ride in Japan horse racing during December has drawn attention. The Japan Racing Association often bring foreign top jockeys on board for some races, a style of competition exposure and a chance to ride in one of the most challenging circuits in the world. For Florent Geroux, it is like a season coming to an end which he has not been able to put together and has even been confusing at times. A fruitful trip could really help him to set a different tone when he is thinking about 2025.
The Japan Racing Association often bring foreign top jockeys on board for some races, a style of competition exposure and a chance to ride in one of the most challenging circuits in the world. For Florent Geroux, it is like a season coming to an end which he has not been able to put together and has even been confusing at times. A fruitful trip could really help him to set a different tone when he is thinking about 2025.
Florent Geroux, while getting ready to connect with new stables and getting used to the different tempo of Japan horse racing, is going through the last weeks of the year with a strong feeling of determination. His year has been a mix of a late recognition, a dramatic success, and some times when he was struggling to find his momentum. At this point, he has a scenario which provides him with a new start and people who are willing to judge him only by the quality of his rides.
For a jockey who has handled both unexpected setbacks and extraordinary highs, a productive visit to Japan horse racing could help steady the path ahead. It marks the closing chapter of a year unlike any he has experienced, and perhaps the start of a more settled run in the months to come.
