Texas Red Possible for Risen Star
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Grade I $2,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red has the Grade II $400,000 Risen Star Stakes on his radar, according to trainer Keith Desormeaux. Recently second in the voting for Eclipse Award champion juvenile, the son of Afleet Alex has been working steadily at Santa Anita Park for his conditioner, who co-owns the colt with a partnership that includes Erich Brehm, Wayne Detmar and Lee Michaels et al. On Saturday morning, the bay charge worked five furlongs in 1:01.40. “Silky smooth. Great enthusiasm. Happy horse!” exclaimed regular rider and three-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Kent Desormeaux via Twitter afterward.
“What we’re leaning toward now is the (Grade II $200,000) San Vicente on the first (of February),” (Keith) Desormeaux said in an interview with TVG Network. “I’m thinking about wheeling him back pretty quickly in the Risen Star on (Feb. 21) and then we’ll have a little gap between the Risen Star and the (Grade I) $1,000,000 Santa Anita Derby (on Apr. 4).”
Having a seven-furlong starting point and wheeling back quickly for a three-race Kentucky Derby prep schedule is a format that has been used by Triple Crown runners effectively in the past. In 1997, Robert and Beverly Lewis’ Silver Charm won the San Vicente and was second in both the 1 1/16-miles San Felipe and 1 1/8-miles Santa Anita Derby within an eight-week span before winning the Derby and Preakness Stakes and finishing second in the Belmont. In 1989, Easy Goer won the seven-furlong Swale Stakes, the one-mile Gotham and 1 1/8-mile Wood Memorial in a seven-week span before finishing second in both the Derby and Preakness and then winning the Belmont Stakes More recently, Curlin won his seven-furlong debut in early February 2007 before winning both the 1 1/16-miles Rebel Stakes and 1 1/8-miles Arkansas Derby within a 10-week span before finishing third in the Derby and Belmont and winning the Preakness betwixt.
“It’s still on schedule,” Desormeaux said via telephone on Sunday afternoon. “It’s always been kind of a tentative schedule, like with all things concerning racehorses. It seems like the best plan for me at this point. It’s kind of quick, but I like the way it feels. If I can get him (to Fair Grounds) a week early, that would be perfect. I’ll be at the mercy of whoever is going to fly us and their schedule.”
In five career starts, the $17,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale bargain has earned $1,192,300 and never finished worse than fourth. After a debut loss by a neck in a five-furlong Arlington International Racecourse maiden in July, the robust Kentucky-bred was fourth in a six-furlong Del Mar maiden before graduating in his first start around two turns in a one-mile maiden at said California course. He returned to finish a flying third to eventual Eclipse champion American Pharoah in the Grade I $300,000 FrontRunner Stakes one race prior to pummeling his Breeders’ Cup rivals by 6½ lengths – both at Santa Anita. Earning a 104 Beyer Speed Figure in the latter, he left Upstart – who returned in a 105 Beyer-earning romp in Saturday’s Grade II $400,000 Holy Bull Stakes – and Grade I winner Carpe Diem in the rubble.
“For him to overcome the fact that he’s not really built to be an early horse – that’s what makes him great and that’s also what makes us so excited about this year,” Desormeaux continued. “If he can do what he did as a juvenile, what can he accomplish as a 3-year-old?”
Source: Fair Grounds Barn Notes
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