Desormeaux Praises Espinoza's Preakness Ride
{{monthName}} {{day}}, {{year}} {{hour12}}:{{minuteTwoDigit}}{{dayPeriod}}
Photo:
oddri
Kent Desormeaux has never won the Belmont Stakes, but the 45-year-old Hall of Fame rider certainly knows his way around the massive mile and a half oval, even though he has some bittersweet memories.
In perhaps the toughest beat ever, Desormeaux and Real Quiet were nosed out of the Triple Crown by Victory Gallop in 1998, and in 2008, Big Brown failed to complete the course as the odds-on favorite after winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.
Desormeaux at this point has no mount this year in the final jewel of racing’s Triple Crown, which will be decided June 6 with American Pharoah seeking to become the first winner of racing’s most elusive prize since Affirmed in 1978.
If the 3-year-old colt ridden by Victor Espinoza and trained by Bob Baffert for Ahmed Zayat runs as he did in the Preakness last Saturday, taking the lead from the start and winning by seven widening lengths on Pimlico’s sloppy track, Desormeaux likes Espinoza’s chances.
“He did the right thing, doing what he did,” Desormeaux said of Espinoza’s take-it-to-‘em tactics. “He sent him like they were going across the street and that was the right strategy, to establish the lead and annihilate the field.
“Two hundred yards from the gate, when he was squeezed to the fence, you could tell he was swimming. He was in six inches of water before he was getting into the race track. There was a pool down on the fence, but he splashed through that, got to higher ground, and won like the very good horse that he is.”
Is he good enough to win the Triple Crown?
“He’s definitely the fastest horse out there, but the true test of a champion is whether they can recover and hold their form in three weeks going a mile and a half,” Desormeaux said.
“For him to put in an effort like that, he’s going to be tired. But Bob knows what to do. He’s only failed by a lip and a neck and then some of winning the Triple Crown.
“Baffert knows how to get ‘em ready.”
Source: Santa Anita Park
In perhaps the toughest beat ever, Desormeaux and Real Quiet were nosed out of the Triple Crown by Victory Gallop in 1998, and in 2008, Big Brown failed to complete the course as the odds-on favorite after winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.
Desormeaux at this point has no mount this year in the final jewel of racing’s Triple Crown, which will be decided June 6 with American Pharoah seeking to become the first winner of racing’s most elusive prize since Affirmed in 1978.
If the 3-year-old colt ridden by Victor Espinoza and trained by Bob Baffert for Ahmed Zayat runs as he did in the Preakness last Saturday, taking the lead from the start and winning by seven widening lengths on Pimlico’s sloppy track, Desormeaux likes Espinoza’s chances.
“He did the right thing, doing what he did,” Desormeaux said of Espinoza’s take-it-to-‘em tactics. “He sent him like they were going across the street and that was the right strategy, to establish the lead and annihilate the field.
“Two hundred yards from the gate, when he was squeezed to the fence, you could tell he was swimming. He was in six inches of water before he was getting into the race track. There was a pool down on the fence, but he splashed through that, got to higher ground, and won like the very good horse that he is.”
Is he good enough to win the Triple Crown?
“He’s definitely the fastest horse out there, but the true test of a champion is whether they can recover and hold their form in three weeks going a mile and a half,” Desormeaux said.
“For him to put in an effort like that, he’s going to be tired. But Bob knows what to do. He’s only failed by a lip and a neck and then some of winning the Triple Crown.
“Baffert knows how to get ‘em ready.”
Source: Santa Anita Park
Read More
The Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes on Saturday at Churchill Downs is a very competitive renewal of the...
Royal Spa , winner of the Grade 2 Locust Grove, is set to return to action next Thursday...
Grade 1 winner Nevada Beach looms large in Saturday’s Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes for 3-year-olds and up...
Raging Sea worked at Churchill Downs on Thursday ahead of a start in next week's Grade 3 Falls...
Last week I broke down the female sprint Eclipse race and explained why my vote goes to Kopion...