Desormeaux takes off Friday but works Dazzlemesilver Saturday

Jockey Kent Desormeaux took off his Friday mounts at Santa Anita. He had been named on three horses, including two who eventually hit the board with other riders.

Desormeaux said that he was feeling "under the weather" on Friday, as first reported by Steve Andersen of Daily Racing Form and confirmed separately by Desormeaux via text to Horse Racing Nation. This was the second time Desormeaux had been off his mounts over the last week. He had also been named on three horses last Saturday at Turfway Park, including eventual Animal Kingdom Stakes winner Eye Witness, but did not ride.

Desormeaux told Horse Racing Nation that he plans to ride at Santa Anita Saturday. He is named on one mount, Very Scary in the Royal Heroine (G2). Trained by Ian Kruljac, Very Scary rides a three-win streak into the race but is the 6-1 joint longest shot on the morning line in her stakes debut.

He also worked Dazzlemesilver Saturday morning, calling him a "serious horse." Trained by Kent Desormeaux's brother Keith, Dazzlemesilver worked five furlongs in 1:00.6 on Saturday morning, ninth fastest of 42 over the course and distance. A 3-year-old Tapwrit colt, he was most recently third behind I Don't Get It in a maiden special weight March 11 at Santa Anita, with Kent Desormeaux riding. Dazzlemesilver is among 20 nominations for the Santa Anita Derby (G1) next Saturday.

Desormeaux, who has been riding since 1986, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2004. He is currently tied for eleventh in the jockey standings for the current Santa Anita meet, with 13 wins from 76 starts. Those include a victory with Stilleto Boy in the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) on March 4.

Substance-abuse issues, which have cropped up multiple times during Kent Desormeaux's successful but troubled career, kept him out of the saddle for much of 2022, though he has been riding again since November 18, 2022.