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Kent Desormeaux

Kent Jason Desormeaux (born February 27, 1970) is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year with 598 wins in 1989. He has won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes three times each, and the Belmont Stakes once. Aboard Real Quiet, he lost the 1998 Triple Crown by a nose.

Kent Desormeaux
Kent Desormeaux on Exaggerator prior to the 2016 Preakness
OccupationJockey
Born (1970-02-27) February 27, 1970 (age 53)
Maurice, Louisiana, United States
Career wins6,000+ (ongoing)[1]
Major racing wins
American Classics wins:
Kentucky Derby (1998, 2000, 2008)
Preakness Stakes (1998, 2008, 2016)
Belmont Stakes (2009)

Breeders' Cup wins:
Breeders' Cup Turf (1993)
Breeders' Cup Sprint (1995, 2017)
Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (2007)
Breeders' Cup Distaff (2010)
Breeders' Cup Juvenile (2014)

Grade 1 Stakes wins
International race wins
Racing awards
Outstanding Apprentice Jockey (1987)
Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey
(1989, 1992)
United States Champion Jockey by wins
(1987, 1988, 1989)
United States Champion Jockey by earnings (1992)
George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award (1993)
JRA Award for Best Jockey (winning average) (2001)
Honours
United States' Racing Hall of Fame (2004)
Significant horses
Best Pal, Big Brown, Exaggerator, Free House, Fusaichi Pegasus, Kotashaan, Real Quiet, Summer Bird, Sweetnorthernsaint, Unrivaled Belle

Background

From a Cajun family, Desormeaux grew up in a rural farming area located a few miles outside Maurice, Louisiana.[2] His brother, J. Keith Desormeaux, older by three years, is a race horse trainer.[3] Desormeaux was a member of the local 4-H club, and was first exposed to race-riding at age 12. "The bush tracks were all around us, and our dad decided he might want to delve into horse racing and bought a bush track Acadiana Downs," explained his brother. "We lived in an agricultural area but we weren't farmers. Even before we got into racing, we all had horses to ride growing up."[2]


1986-1997: Early success

Desormeaux was sixteen years old when he began working as an apprentice jockey at the Evangeline Downs racetrack in Lafayette, Louisiana. On July 13, 1986, he rode Miss Tavern to his first career victory. He won his first career stakes race on December 13 of that year, riding Godbey in the Maryland City Handicap at Laurel Park Racecourse.[4] For 1986, he had 55 wins from 525 starts.[1]

"I think as an apprentice I was probably cheating. It's kind of like the guy that comes in from Panama and has already been riding for three or four years. As all my Cajun brethren have, we have a head start. It's what launched my career. I showed up in Maryland with added skills."[5]

—Kent Desormeaux, 2004

His success led him to move north to compete on the Maryland racing circuit, where his winning record earned him the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in 1987. While racing in Maryland from 1987-89, Desormeaux won more races than any other jockey in North America. He is one of only four jockeys to have won three national titles in a row.[5] In 1987, he had 450 wins from 2,207 starts with earnings of $5.1 million. In 1988, he improved to 474 wins from 1,897 starts and earnings of $6.3 million.[1] He got his first mount in the Kentucky Derby in 1988, finishing 16th.[6]

In 1989 Desormeaux won his third jockey title, and set an American record for most wins in a year with 598; the previous record had been 546.[7][8] The record still stands. That year, Desormeaux competed in 2,312 races, earning $9.1 million.[1] He also won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey. He became the third jockey to win the Eclipse Award in both the apprentice and overall categories, Chris McCarron and Steve Cauthen being the others.[5]

In 1990, he moved to the highly competitive southern California circuit. He later explained, "If I wanted to be in the Kentucky Derby or Breeders' Cup, I had to make a change."[5] Desormeaux would soon win his first major stakes race, the San Juan Capistrano Invitational,[4] then a Grade 1 race at Santa Anita with a purse of $500,000.[9] As a result of the move, Desormeaux's number of wins declined to 220 in 1990, a 60% decrease from 1989. His earnings were less affected, totaling $7.1 million in 1990, a 22% decrease from the year before,[1] a result of the higher purses generally available in California. In 1992, Desormeaux became the regular rider of Best Pal, who put together a string of four graded stakes wins, including the Santa Anita Handicap. He would later call Best Pal his favorite horse to ride. "Best Pal may not have been the fastest horse I ever rode...but what that horse was, was push button."[5]

On December 11, 1992, at Hollywood Park, Desormeaux was thrown when the horse he was riding, Judge Hammer, shied during the stretch drive. He was then kicked in the head by a trailing horse, resulting in multiple skull fractures and a permanent hearing deficit.[10][11][12] Prior to the fall, Desormeaux had been on pace to break José A. Santos' then-current earnings record of $14.8 million. Desormeaux fell just short with earnings of $14.1 million, but still won the national earnings title.[13] He also received his second Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey.[1][14]

"I think he answered all the questions with [his comeback] rides" said fellow jockey Gary Stevens. "You've got to prove yourself all over again to your clients.""[13] On January 23, Desormeaux picked up the mount on Kotashaan. They proceeded to win five Grade 1 races together, culminating in the 1993 Breeders' Cup Turf.[15] At the end of the year his peers voted him the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award.[16]

One of Desormeaux's more infamous moments though came when riding Kotashaan in the Japan Cup of 1993. They were about to overtake the leader in the closing stages when Desormeaux sat up on the horse, having misjudged the finish line. Kotashaan's trainer, Richard Mandella said: "He didn't stand up for a second and sit down again, he half pulled up." Kotashaan finished second; the mistake costing roughly $1 million in prize money.[17]

In 1995, Desormeaux, aged 25, became the youngest rider to amass 3,000 victories. That year, he scored his second Breeders' Cup title when he beat the "boys" in the Breeders' Cup Sprint with the filly Desert Stormer. In 1997, at age 27, he was the youngest jockey to surpass $100 million in career earnings.[4]

During the mid-nineties, Desormeaux gradually gained a reputation of not listening to trainers. "There is no doubt that I was on top of the world", Desormeaux said. "No one needed to tell me how to ride a horse. I became very irresponsible with rides. I was immature in a number of situations. I wasn't professional. I didn't pay attention to trainer's instructions, and I wasn't persevering to the wire."[18] He never stopped competing, but his win percentage dropped from 23% in 1992 (364 wins in 1,594 starts) to 17% in 1996 (182 wins in 1,053 starts).[1]

1998-2009: Quest for the Triple Crown

Although he had a great deal of success early in his career, it wasn't until 1998 that he made an impact on the Triple Crown trail. That year, Desormeaux rode Real Quiet to victory in the 1998 Kentucky Derby. "My whole life and career flashed through my mind," he said. "To win the Kentucky Derby -- after having been on top of the world and then falling off the face of the Earth—it was like I was wide-awake inside my most fantastic dream."[18]

He followed this with a victory in the Preakness Stakes. However, Desormeaux lost his bid to win the Triple Crown when Victory Gallop beat Real Quiet by a nose in the final stride in the Belmont Stakes. "It hurts that I'll live in infamy. Who wants to be known for the closest ever to almost win the Triple Crown?"[19] Later that year, he went on to ride the Canadian 3-year-old champion colt Archers Bay to victory in the Queen's Plate, becoming the first jockey since Bill Hartack in 1964 to complete the Kentucky Derby/Queen's Plate double in the same year.[20]

In 2000, Desormeaux won his second Kentucky Derby aboard Fusaichi Pegasus. The two combined to take the Wood Memorial Stakes and Jerome Handicap.[1] "Probably the most talented horse I rode (was) Fusaichi Pegasus," he said in 2004. "What an amazing, amazing, animal that horse was."[5] In 2001, Desormeaux decided to ride in Japan for 10 weeks [21] During this stint, he became the first foreign jockey to win a Classic race in Japan when he rode Lady Pastel to victory in the Yushun Himba (Japanese Oaks).[22]

In 2002, Desormeaux had a good year, ranked tenth by total earnings,[1] capped by his second win in the Santa Anita Handicap on Milwaukee Brew. His ranking then dropped to 31st in 2003. In 2004, he won only 104 races, though his earnings were boosted by his first victory in the Arlington Million. He changed his agent,[23] then shuttled between Japan and America in 2005 for several months.[24] By the end of 2005, he'd accumulated 75 North American wins[1] plus 50 wins in Japan.[25] Although he had no grade 1 wins that year, he did guide Zenno Rob Roy to third place in both the Takarazuka Kinen[26] and Japan Cup.[27][28] On his return, he again changed agents and in 2006 "moved tack" to the east coast.[29]

In 2008, Desormeaux won his third Kentucky Derby aboard Big Brown who won easily by just under five lengths. Two weeks later, Desormeaux rode Big Brown to victory in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, this time winning by just over five lengths while in hand. With a Triple Crown on the line, Big Brown was made the heavy 3-10 favorite in the Belmont Stakes. Unfortunately, Big Brown broke poorly and was rank for the first quarter mile. He finally settled, but had no response when Desormeaux asked him to run. Desormeaux eased Big Brown after the colt tired at the quarter pole. It was an inexplicably poor performance by a colt who went on to win the Haskell Invitational and Monmouth Park Stakes. Desormeaux received a good deal of criticism for his ride, though some praised him for protecting the colt from potential injury.[30]

He scored his 5,000th career victory on July 27, 2008 by guiding Bella Attrice to victory in the 7th race at Saratoga Race Course. In 2009, Desormeaux won the Belmont Stakes for the first time when he rode Summer Bird to victory, followed by wins in the Travers Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup. Desormeaux commented after the latter win, "He's trying to be the best horse I've ever ridden. He was awesome today."[31] The wins would earn the colt the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Three-Year-Old Colt.

2010-present

In 2010, Desormeaux teamed up with the filly Unrivaled Belle to score an upset win over Rachel Alexandra in the La Troienne Stakes. Later that year, Unrivaled Belle gave Desormeaux his fifth Breeders' Cup win when she upset Blind Luck in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. [32]

On August 31, 2011, Desormeaux was arrested when he tapped a NYRA security guard with his car at Saratoga Race Course. Charged with second degree reckless endangerment,[33] he later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct.[34] His opportunities continued to dry up, causing his rank by North American earnings to drop from 15th in 2010 to 99th in 2013. In 2014, he failed to crack the top 100 for the first time in his career.[1]

 
Desormeaux and Exaggerator in the Preakness winner's circle

In the summer of 2014, Keith Desormeaux helped bring Kent back into the limelight by offering the ride on a promising colt named Texas Red. Although Texas Red was third behind American Pharoah when the two met in the FrontRunner Stakes, Texas Red would win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile when American Pharoah was withdrawn due to injury. It was Keith's first Breeders' Cup win and Kent's fifth, and the first time brothers had combined to win a Breeders' Cup race.[35] Unfortunately, Texas Red missed most of the 2015 racing season due to injury. When he finally did get his second chance at American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes, they both lost to Keen Ice, a colt that had previously been Desormeaux's mount.[36]

The brothers next teamed up with another colt, Exaggerator. After an encouraging two-year-old campaign in 2015, Desormeaux rode the colt to an impressive come-from-behind victory in the 2016 Santa Anita Derby that made the colt the second betting choice for the 2016 Kentucky Derby. The Desormeaux brothers finished second at the Derby, but would celebrate victory together on May 21 when Exaggerator won the 2016 Preakness Stakes. Desormeaux credited his early years riding the Maryland circuit with giving him a crucial edge at Pimlico: "With these turns you want to paint the fence. We did, they didn't and—not for nothing—knowledge is power."[37]

Following a drinking binge the night of his Preakness win, Desormeaux decided to address his alcohol issues. He said, "I hit bottom… I had a blackout. That's enough."[38] With the encouragement of his wife and brother, on May 31, 2016, he checked himself into an alcohol rehabilitation program at Cirque Lodge in Sundance, Utah. After a stay of eight days, he flew to New York to prepare for the 2016 Belmont Stakes, accompanied by a coach who assisted him in maintaining sobriety.[39] Exaggerator did not respond when asked to run in the homestretch and finished eleventh.[40] Kent's brother, Keith, did not blame the jockey, but noted the horse had run all three legs of the Triple Crown series and had struggled with the Belmont track.[41]

Desormeaux reached a milestone only 18 others in North America have met on Jan. 27, 2019 at Santa Anita Park, when he rode X S Gold to victory to secure his 6,000th win.[42] As of his 6000th win, he climbed to no. 16 on the all-time wins list and no. 6 in mount earnings. [43]

Honors

In 2004, Kent Desormeaux was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. He has earned three Eclipse Awards, as outstanding apprentice jockey in 1987, and then as outstanding jockey in 1989 and 1992.[1]

Triple Crown summary

 
Desormeaux and Big Brown head into the gate for the 2008 Belmont Stakes.
  • 7 wins, 6 seconds, 5 thirds

Kentucky Derby highlights:

  • Won on: Real Quiet (1998), Fusaichi Pegasus (2000), Big Brown (2008)
  • Second on: Exaggerator (2016)
  • Third on: Pleasant Tap (1990), Imperialism (2004), Paddy O' Prado (2010), Dullahan (2012)

Preakness Stakes highlights:

  • Won on: Real Quiet (1998), Big Brown (2008), Exaggerator (2016)
  • Second on: Free House (1997), Fusaichi Pegasus (2000), Sweetnorthernsaint (2006)

Belmont Stakes highlights:

  • Won on: Summer Bird (2009)
  • Second on: Real Quiet (1998), Medaglia d'Oro (2002)
  • Third on: Free House (1997), Keen Ice (2015)

Year-end charts

Chart (2000–present) Rank
by earnings
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2000 4
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2001 25
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2002 10
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2003 31
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2004 15
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2005 46
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2006 17
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2007 11
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2008 3
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2009 4
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2010 15
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2011 52
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2012 99
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2013 142
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2014 25
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2015 24
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2016 17
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2017 22
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2018 38
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2019 113
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2020 278
National Earnings List for Jockeys 2021 61

Ranked by North American earnings[44]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Kent Desormeaux". Equibase. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Duncan, Jeff (5 May 2016). "The pride of Cajun country, the Desormeaux brothers, aim for history". NOLA.com.
  3. ^ Cherwa, John (February 12, 2016). "Desormeaux brothers' Derby dream, far from rural roots, may be nearing fruition". latimes.com. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c "Kent Desormeaux Biography" (PDF). Keeneland.com. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Ryan, Victor (May 25, 2004). "2004 Hall of Fame Inductee: Kent Desormeaux". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  6. ^ "Kentucky Derby Thumbnail Sketches". UPI. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  7. ^ Beyer, Andrew (13 May 1998). "DESORMEAUX: LONG RIDE TO GET BACK ON TRACK". Washington Post. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Kent Desormeaux Biography" (PDF). Keeneland.com. June 9, 2016.
  9. ^ "San Juan Capistrano". www.equibase.com. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  10. ^ "KENT DESORMEAUX". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2022-10-16.
  11. ^ "Leading jockey Desormeaux in intensive care". UPI. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  12. ^ Christine, Bill (12 December 1992). "HOLLYWOOD PARK : Desormeaux Is Kicked in Head by Horse After Being Thrown". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  13. ^ a b Christine, Bill (January 23, 1993). "Desormeaux Wins Twice in Return". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  14. ^ Perrone, Vinnie (2 February 1993). "PLEASANT TAP WINS ECLIPSE". Washington Post. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  15. ^ "Hall of Champions - Kotashaan". www.breederscup.com. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  16. ^ . www.jockeysguild.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  17. ^ "Rider's life no exaggeration". nzherald.com.nz. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  18. ^ a b McKee, Sandra. "He's back on top". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  19. ^ Novak, Claire (June 9, 2012). "Desormeaux, Battling Alcoholism, Fights to Stay in Horse Racing". The New York Times. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  20. ^ "Archers Bay hits target". www.canoe.ca. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  21. ^ "Desormeaux Returns From Japan for Beverly Hills". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  22. ^ Bayer, Barbara (May 21, 2001). "Desormeaux first foreign rider to win a Japan classic". The Japan Times Online. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  23. ^ "Fans Seeing a New Attitude from Desormeaux". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  24. ^ "Frequent Flyer Desormeaux Starts Hot in Japan". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  25. ^ "JRA Jockeys Rankings". jra.jp. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  26. ^ "Jockeys Riding Japaneses Horses in 2005 Japan Cup and Japan Cup Dirt". japanracing.jp. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  27. ^ "Alkaased wins the Japan Cup in record time". japanracing.jp. November 27, 2005. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  28. ^ "Kent Desormeaux - Records". Umanity!. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  29. ^ "Desormeaux Moving Tack East After All". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  30. ^ Beyer, Andrew (June 11, 2008). "The Story Behind Big Brown's Bad Belmont May Never Be Known". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  31. ^ Shandler, Jason. "Summer Bird Does it Again, Wins JCGC". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  32. ^ . jockeysguild.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  33. ^ "Desormeaux Prevented From Riding After Arrest", New York Times, September 2, 2011.
  34. ^ "Desormeaux pleads to reduced charge of disorderly conduct", saratogian.com; retrieved 2011-09-23.
  35. ^ Wincze Hughes, Alicia. "Breeders' Cup: Desormeaux brothers take Juvenile with Texas Red". kentucky.com. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  36. ^ McNamara, Ed. "American Pharoah upset at Travers by Keen Ice". Newsday. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  37. ^ LaMarra, Tom (May 21, 2016). "Exaggerator Turns the Tables, Wins Preakness". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  38. ^ Staff (June 10, 2016). "Kent Desormeaux: 'I Hit Bottom' With Post-Preakness Blackout". Paulick Report. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  39. ^ Bonesteel, Matt (June 7, 2016). "Exaggerator jockey Kent Desormeaux entered alcohol rehab after Preakness win, will ride in Belmont". Washington Post. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  40. ^ "Chart for the 2016 Belmont Stakes". equibase.com. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  41. ^ Novak, Claire (June 12, 2016). "Exaggerator Exits Belmont Without Issue". The Blood Horse. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  42. ^ Balan, Jeremy (January 27, 2019). "Kent Desormeaux Rides 6,000th Winner". The Blood Horse. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  43. ^ Plonk, Jeremy (January 28, 2019). "Kent Desormeaux Rides 6,000th Winner". Xpressbet. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
  44. ^ "Jockey Rankings by Year". www.equibase.com.

External links

  • Kent DesOrmeaux Official Website
  • Louisiana bush tracks jump-started Desormeaux's career
  • Kent Desormeaux at the United States' National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame

kent, desormeaux, kent, jason, desormeaux, born, february, 1970, american, thoroughbred, horse, racing, hall, fame, jockey, holds, record, most, races, single, year, with, wins, 1989, kentucky, derby, preakness, stakes, three, times, each, belmont, stakes, onc. Kent Jason Desormeaux born February 27 1970 is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U S record for most races won in a single year with 598 wins in 1989 He has won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes three times each and the Belmont Stakes once Aboard Real Quiet he lost the 1998 Triple Crown by a nose Kent DesormeauxKent Desormeaux on Exaggerator prior to the 2016 PreaknessOccupationJockeyBorn 1970 02 27 February 27 1970 age 53 Maurice Louisiana United StatesCareer wins6 000 ongoing 1 Major racing winsAmerican Classics wins Kentucky Derby 1998 2000 2008 Preakness Stakes 1998 2008 2016 Belmont Stakes 2009 Breeders Cup wins Breeders Cup Turf 1993 Breeders Cup Sprint 1995 2017 Breeders Cup Dirt Mile 2007 Breeders Cup Distaff 2010 Breeders Cup Juvenile 2014 Grade 1 Stakes wins San Juan Capistrano Handicap 1990 1993 1999 Turf Classic Stakes 1990 Pacific Classic Stakes 1992 Santa Anita Handicap 1992 2002 2023 Santa Anita Oaks 1992 1994 1998 Beverly D Stakes 1992 2008 2009 Awesome Again Stakes 1992 1993 1995 2001 Eddie Read Handicap 1993 2000 Triple Bend Invitational Handicap 1993 Gamely Stakes 1993 1995 1996 1998 2000 2002 Los Alamitos Futurity 1994 1997 2006 Mother Goose Stakes 1994 Malibu Stakes 1995 1996 2001 Del Mar Futurity 1995 1998 La Troienne Stakes 1995 2010 Santa Anita Derby 1997 2016 Woodward Stakes 1997 2006 Starlet Stakes 1997 1998 2004 Del Mar Debutante Stakes 1997 1998 Carter Handicap 1998 Oak Leaf Stakes 1998 Donn Handicap 1999 Arkansas Derby 1999 Spinster Stakes 1999 2008 2009 Wood Memorial Stakes 2000 Stephen Foster Handicap 2000 Del Mar Oaks 2002 Secretariat Stakes 2002 2009 2010 Maker s Mark Mile Stakes 2002 2009 Jenny Wiley Stakes 2002 Frank E Kilroe Mile Handicap 2002 2006 2016 La Brea Stakes 2003 American Oaks 2004 2009 Arlington Million 2004 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes 2004 Metropolitan Handicap 2005 Test Stakes 2005 Clark Handicap 2006 Florida Derby 2008 Haskell Invitational Handicap 2008 Travers Stakes 2009 Jockey Club Gold Cup 2009 Madison Stakes 2010 Ashland Stakes 2010 Breeders Futurity Stakes 2011 Blue Grass Stakes 2012 Matriarch Stakes 2015 International race wins Yushun Himba Japanese Oaks 2001 Queen s Plate 1998 2003 Woodbine Mile 1998 2003 Racing awardsOutstanding Apprentice Jockey 1987 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey 1989 1992 United States Champion Jockey by wins 1987 1988 1989 United States Champion Jockey by earnings 1992 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award 1993 JRA Award for Best Jockey winning average 2001 HonoursUnited States Racing Hall of Fame 2004 Significant horsesBest Pal Big Brown Exaggerator Free House Fusaichi Pegasus Kotashaan Real Quiet Summer Bird Sweetnorthernsaint Unrivaled Belle Contents 1 Background 2 1986 1997 Early success 3 1998 2009 Quest for the Triple Crown 4 2010 present 5 Honors 6 Triple Crown summary 7 Year end charts 8 References 9 External linksBackgroundFrom a Cajun family Desormeaux grew up in a rural farming area located a few miles outside Maurice Louisiana 2 His brother J Keith Desormeaux older by three years is a race horse trainer 3 Desormeaux was a member of the local 4 H club and was first exposed to race riding at age 12 The bush tracks were all around us and our dad decided he might want to delve into horse racing and bought a bush track Acadiana Downs explained his brother We lived in an agricultural area but we weren t farmers Even before we got into racing we all had horses to ride growing up 2 1986 1997 Early successDesormeaux was sixteen years old when he began working as an apprentice jockey at the Evangeline Downs racetrack in Lafayette Louisiana On July 13 1986 he rode Miss Tavern to his first career victory He won his first career stakes race on December 13 of that year riding Godbey in the Maryland City Handicap at Laurel Park Racecourse 4 For 1986 he had 55 wins from 525 starts 1 I think as an apprentice I was probably cheating It s kind of like the guy that comes in from Panama and has already been riding for three or four years As all my Cajun brethren have we have a head start It s what launched my career I showed up in Maryland with added skills 5 Kent Desormeaux 2004 His success led him to move north to compete on the Maryland racing circuit where his winning record earned him the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in 1987 While racing in Maryland from 1987 89 Desormeaux won more races than any other jockey in North America He is one of only four jockeys to have won three national titles in a row 5 In 1987 he had 450 wins from 2 207 starts with earnings of 5 1 million In 1988 he improved to 474 wins from 1 897 starts and earnings of 6 3 million 1 He got his first mount in the Kentucky Derby in 1988 finishing 16th 6 In 1989 Desormeaux won his third jockey title and set an American record for most wins in a year with 598 the previous record had been 546 7 8 The record still stands That year Desormeaux competed in 2 312 races earning 9 1 million 1 He also won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey He became the third jockey to win the Eclipse Award in both the apprentice and overall categories Chris McCarron and Steve Cauthen being the others 5 In 1990 he moved to the highly competitive southern California circuit He later explained If I wanted to be in the Kentucky Derby or Breeders Cup I had to make a change 5 Desormeaux would soon win his first major stakes race the San Juan Capistrano Invitational 4 then a Grade 1 race at Santa Anita with a purse of 500 000 9 As a result of the move Desormeaux s number of wins declined to 220 in 1990 a 60 decrease from 1989 His earnings were less affected totaling 7 1 million in 1990 a 22 decrease from the year before 1 a result of the higher purses generally available in California In 1992 Desormeaux became the regular rider of Best Pal who put together a string of four graded stakes wins including the Santa Anita Handicap He would later call Best Pal his favorite horse to ride Best Pal may not have been the fastest horse I ever rode but what that horse was was push button 5 On December 11 1992 at Hollywood Park Desormeaux was thrown when the horse he was riding Judge Hammer shied during the stretch drive He was then kicked in the head by a trailing horse resulting in multiple skull fractures and a permanent hearing deficit 10 11 12 Prior to the fall Desormeaux had been on pace to break Jose A Santos then current earnings record of 14 8 million Desormeaux fell just short with earnings of 14 1 million but still won the national earnings title 13 He also received his second Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey 1 14 I think he answered all the questions with his comeback rides said fellow jockey Gary Stevens You ve got to prove yourself all over again to your clients 13 On January 23 Desormeaux picked up the mount on Kotashaan They proceeded to win five Grade 1 races together culminating in the 1993 Breeders Cup Turf 15 At the end of the year his peers voted him the prestigious George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award 16 One of Desormeaux s more infamous moments though came when riding Kotashaan in the Japan Cup of 1993 They were about to overtake the leader in the closing stages when Desormeaux sat up on the horse having misjudged the finish line Kotashaan s trainer Richard Mandella said He didn t stand up for a second and sit down again he half pulled up Kotashaan finished second the mistake costing roughly 1 million in prize money 17 In 1995 Desormeaux aged 25 became the youngest rider to amass 3 000 victories That year he scored his second Breeders Cup title when he beat the boys in the Breeders Cup Sprint with the filly Desert Stormer In 1997 at age 27 he was the youngest jockey to surpass 100 million in career earnings 4 During the mid nineties Desormeaux gradually gained a reputation of not listening to trainers There is no doubt that I was on top of the world Desormeaux said No one needed to tell me how to ride a horse I became very irresponsible with rides I was immature in a number of situations I wasn t professional I didn t pay attention to trainer s instructions and I wasn t persevering to the wire 18 He never stopped competing but his win percentage dropped from 23 in 1992 364 wins in 1 594 starts to 17 in 1996 182 wins in 1 053 starts 1 1998 2009 Quest for the Triple CrownAlthough he had a great deal of success early in his career it wasn t until 1998 that he made an impact on the Triple Crown trail That year Desormeaux rode Real Quiet to victory in the 1998 Kentucky Derby My whole life and career flashed through my mind he said To win the Kentucky Derby after having been on top of the world and then falling off the face of the Earth it was like I was wide awake inside my most fantastic dream 18 He followed this with a victory in the Preakness Stakes However Desormeaux lost his bid to win the Triple Crown when Victory Gallop beat Real Quiet by a nose in the final stride in the Belmont Stakes It hurts that I ll live in infamy Who wants to be known for the closest ever to almost win the Triple Crown 19 Later that year he went on to ride the Canadian 3 year old champion colt Archers Bay to victory in the Queen s Plate becoming the first jockey since Bill Hartack in 1964 to complete the Kentucky Derby Queen s Plate double in the same year 20 In 2000 Desormeaux won his second Kentucky Derby aboard Fusaichi Pegasus The two combined to take the Wood Memorial Stakes and Jerome Handicap 1 Probably the most talented horse I rode was Fusaichi Pegasus he said in 2004 What an amazing amazing animal that horse was 5 In 2001 Desormeaux decided to ride in Japan for 10 weeks 21 During this stint he became the first foreign jockey to win a Classic race in Japan when he rode Lady Pastel to victory in the Yushun Himba Japanese Oaks 22 In 2002 Desormeaux had a good year ranked tenth by total earnings 1 capped by his second win in the Santa Anita Handicap on Milwaukee Brew His ranking then dropped to 31st in 2003 In 2004 he won only 104 races though his earnings were boosted by his first victory in the Arlington Million He changed his agent 23 then shuttled between Japan and America in 2005 for several months 24 By the end of 2005 he d accumulated 75 North American wins 1 plus 50 wins in Japan 25 Although he had no grade 1 wins that year he did guide Zenno Rob Roy to third place in both the Takarazuka Kinen 26 and Japan Cup 27 28 On his return he again changed agents and in 2006 moved tack to the east coast 29 In 2008 Desormeaux won his third Kentucky Derby aboard Big Brown who won easily by just under five lengths Two weeks later Desormeaux rode Big Brown to victory in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course this time winning by just over five lengths while in hand With a Triple Crown on the line Big Brown was made the heavy 3 10 favorite in the Belmont Stakes Unfortunately Big Brown broke poorly and was rank for the first quarter mile He finally settled but had no response when Desormeaux asked him to run Desormeaux eased Big Brown after the colt tired at the quarter pole It was an inexplicably poor performance by a colt who went on to win the Haskell Invitational and Monmouth Park Stakes Desormeaux received a good deal of criticism for his ride though some praised him for protecting the colt from potential injury 30 He scored his 5 000th career victory on July 27 2008 by guiding Bella Attrice to victory in the 7th race at Saratoga Race Course In 2009 Desormeaux won the Belmont Stakes for the first time when he rode Summer Bird to victory followed by wins in the Travers Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup Desormeaux commented after the latter win He s trying to be the best horse I ve ever ridden He was awesome today 31 The wins would earn the colt the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Three Year Old Colt 2010 presentIn 2010 Desormeaux teamed up with the filly Unrivaled Belle to score an upset win over Rachel Alexandra in the La Troienne Stakes Later that year Unrivaled Belle gave Desormeaux his fifth Breeders Cup win when she upset Blind Luck in the Breeders Cup Distaff 32 On August 31 2011 Desormeaux was arrested when he tapped a NYRA security guard with his car at Saratoga Race Course Charged with second degree reckless endangerment 33 he later pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of disorderly conduct 34 His opportunities continued to dry up causing his rank by North American earnings to drop from 15th in 2010 to 99th in 2013 In 2014 he failed to crack the top 100 for the first time in his career 1 Desormeaux and Exaggerator in the Preakness winner s circle In the summer of 2014 Keith Desormeaux helped bring Kent back into the limelight by offering the ride on a promising colt named Texas Red Although Texas Red was third behind American Pharoah when the two met in the FrontRunner Stakes Texas Red would win the Breeders Cup Juvenile when American Pharoah was withdrawn due to injury It was Keith s first Breeders Cup win and Kent s fifth and the first time brothers had combined to win a Breeders Cup race 35 Unfortunately Texas Red missed most of the 2015 racing season due to injury When he finally did get his second chance at American Pharoah in the Travers Stakes they both lost to Keen Ice a colt that had previously been Desormeaux s mount 36 The brothers next teamed up with another colt Exaggerator After an encouraging two year old campaign in 2015 Desormeaux rode the colt to an impressive come from behind victory in the 2016 Santa Anita Derby that made the colt the second betting choice for the 2016 Kentucky Derby The Desormeaux brothers finished second at the Derby but would celebrate victory together on May 21 when Exaggerator won the 2016 Preakness Stakes Desormeaux credited his early years riding the Maryland circuit with giving him a crucial edge at Pimlico With these turns you want to paint the fence We did they didn t and not for nothing knowledge is power 37 Following a drinking binge the night of his Preakness win Desormeaux decided to address his alcohol issues He said I hit bottom I had a blackout That s enough 38 With the encouragement of his wife and brother on May 31 2016 he checked himself into an alcohol rehabilitation program at Cirque Lodge in Sundance Utah After a stay of eight days he flew to New York to prepare for the 2016 Belmont Stakes accompanied by a coach who assisted him in maintaining sobriety 39 Exaggerator did not respond when asked to run in the homestretch and finished eleventh 40 Kent s brother Keith did not blame the jockey but noted the horse had run all three legs of the Triple Crown series and had struggled with the Belmont track 41 Desormeaux reached a milestone only 18 others in North America have met on Jan 27 2019 at Santa Anita Park when he rode X S Gold to victory to secure his 6 000th win 42 As of his 6000th win he climbed to no 16 on the all time wins list and no 6 in mount earnings 43 HonorsIn 2004 Kent Desormeaux was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame He has earned three Eclipse Awards as outstanding apprentice jockey in 1987 and then as outstanding jockey in 1989 and 1992 1 Triple Crown summary Desormeaux and Big Brown head into the gate for the 2008 Belmont Stakes 7 wins 6 seconds 5 thirdsKentucky Derby highlights Won on Real Quiet 1998 Fusaichi Pegasus 2000 Big Brown 2008 Second on Exaggerator 2016 Third on Pleasant Tap 1990 Imperialism 2004 Paddy O Prado 2010 Dullahan 2012 Preakness Stakes highlights Won on Real Quiet 1998 Big Brown 2008 Exaggerator 2016 Second on Free House 1997 Fusaichi Pegasus 2000 Sweetnorthernsaint 2006 Belmont Stakes highlights Won on Summer Bird 2009 Second on Real Quiet 1998 Medaglia d Oro 2002 Third on Free House 1997 Keen Ice 2015 Year end chartsChart 2000 present Rankby earningsNational Earnings List for Jockeys 2000 4National Earnings List for Jockeys 2001 25National Earnings List for Jockeys 2002 10National Earnings List for Jockeys 2003 31National Earnings List for Jockeys 2004 15National Earnings List for Jockeys 2005 46National Earnings List for Jockeys 2006 17National Earnings List for Jockeys 2007 11National Earnings List for Jockeys 2008 3National Earnings List for Jockeys 2009 4National Earnings List for Jockeys 2010 15National Earnings List for Jockeys 2011 52National Earnings List for Jockeys 2012 99National Earnings List for Jockeys 2013 142National Earnings List for Jockeys 2014 25National Earnings List for Jockeys 2015 24National Earnings List for Jockeys 2016 17National Earnings List for Jockeys 2017 22National Earnings List for Jockeys 2018 38National Earnings List for Jockeys 2019 113National Earnings List for Jockeys 2020 278National Earnings List for Jockeys 2021 61Ranked by North American earnings 44 References a b c d e f g h i j k l Kent Desormeaux Equibase Retrieved January 28 2019 a b Duncan Jeff 5 May 2016 The pride of Cajun country the Desormeaux brothers aim for history NOLA com Cherwa John February 12 2016 Desormeaux brothers Derby dream far from rural roots may be nearing fruition latimes com Retrieved June 9 2016 a b c Kent Desormeaux Biography PDF Keeneland com Retrieved June 9 2016 a b c d e f Ryan Victor May 25 2004 2004 Hall of Fame Inductee Kent Desormeaux BloodHorse com Retrieved June 10 2016 Kentucky Derby Thumbnail Sketches UPI Retrieved June 10 2016 Beyer Andrew 13 May 1998 DESORMEAUX LONG RIDE TO GET BACK ON TRACK Washington Post Retrieved 7 October 2022 Kent Desormeaux Biography PDF Keeneland com June 9 2016 San Juan Capistrano www equibase com Retrieved June 10 2016 KENT DESORMEAUX Sports Illustrated Retrieved 2022 10 16 Leading jockey Desormeaux in intensive care UPI Retrieved 24 September 2022 Christine Bill 12 December 1992 HOLLYWOOD PARK Desormeaux Is Kicked in Head by Horse After Being Thrown Los Angeles Times Retrieved 10 October 2022 a b Christine Bill January 23 1993 Desormeaux Wins Twice in Return Los Angeles Times Retrieved June 9 2016 Perrone Vinnie 2 February 1993 PLEASANT TAP WINS ECLIPSE Washington Post Retrieved 24 September 2022 Hall of Champions Kotashaan www breederscup com Retrieved June 10 2016 George Woolf Award www jockeysguild com Archived from the original on June 1 2016 Retrieved June 11 2016 Rider s life no exaggeration nzherald com nz Retrieved October 23 2018 a b McKee Sandra He s back on top Baltimore Sun Retrieved June 9 2016 Novak Claire June 9 2012 Desormeaux Battling Alcoholism Fights to Stay in Horse Racing The New York Times Retrieved June 20 2016 Archers Bay hits target www canoe ca Retrieved 10 June 2016 Desormeaux Returns From Japan for Beverly Hills BloodHorse com Retrieved October 7 2022 Bayer Barbara May 21 2001 Desormeaux first foreign rider to win a Japan classic The Japan Times Online Retrieved June 9 2016 Fans Seeing a New Attitude from Desormeaux BloodHorse com Retrieved June 10 2016 Frequent Flyer Desormeaux Starts Hot in Japan BloodHorse com Retrieved June 10 2016 JRA Jockeys Rankings jra jp Retrieved 24 September 2022 Jockeys Riding Japaneses Horses in 2005 Japan Cup and Japan Cup Dirt japanracing jp Retrieved June 11 2016 Alkaased wins the Japan Cup in record time japanracing jp November 27 2005 Retrieved June 11 2016 Kent Desormeaux Records Umanity Retrieved 24 September 2022 Desormeaux Moving Tack East After All BloodHorse com Retrieved June 10 2016 Beyer Andrew June 11 2008 The Story Behind Big Brown s Bad Belmont May Never Be Known The Washington Post Retrieved June 9 2016 Shandler Jason Summer Bird Does it Again Wins JCGC BloodHorse com Retrieved June 10 2016 Kent Desormeaux profile jockeysguild com Archived from the original on June 30 2016 Retrieved June 8 2016 Desormeaux Prevented From Riding After Arrest New York Times September 2 2011 Desormeaux pleads to reduced charge of disorderly conduct saratogian com retrieved 2011 09 23 Wincze Hughes Alicia Breeders Cup Desormeaux brothers take Juvenile with Texas Red kentucky com Retrieved June 10 2016 McNamara Ed American Pharoah upset at Travers by Keen Ice Newsday Retrieved June 10 2016 LaMarra Tom May 21 2016 Exaggerator Turns the Tables Wins Preakness BloodHorse com Retrieved June 8 2016 Staff June 10 2016 Kent Desormeaux I Hit Bottom With Post Preakness Blackout Paulick Report Retrieved June 20 2016 Bonesteel Matt June 7 2016 Exaggerator jockey Kent Desormeaux entered alcohol rehab after Preakness win will ride in Belmont Washington Post Retrieved June 8 2016 Chart for the 2016 Belmont Stakes equibase com Retrieved June 16 2016 Novak Claire June 12 2016 Exaggerator Exits Belmont Without Issue The Blood Horse Retrieved June 20 2016 Balan Jeremy January 27 2019 Kent Desormeaux Rides 6 000th Winner The Blood Horse Retrieved January 28 2019 Plonk Jeremy January 28 2019 Kent Desormeaux Rides 6 000th Winner Xpressbet Retrieved January 28 2019 Jockey Rankings by Year www equibase com External linksKent DesOrmeaux Official Website Louisiana bush tracks jump started Desormeaux s career Kent Desormeaux at the United States National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Kent Desormeaux amp oldid 1148497983, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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