BACK IN THE SADDLE; AFTER TOUGH TIMES, DESORMEAUX ON TOP.Byline: Rob Miech San Gabriel Valley The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of southern California. It lies to the east of the city of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and to the west of the Inland Empire. Tribune The dream continues this weekend for jockey Kent Desormeaux Kent J. Desormeaux (born February 27, 1970, in Maurice, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana) is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year. , who met his future wife in the ninth grade, had his life spared six years ago and claimed his first Kentucky Derby Kentucky Derby One of the classic U.S. Thoroughbred horse races. It was established in 1875 and run annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Ky. With the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, it makes up U.S. racing's coveted Triple Crown. victory two weeks ago. That watershed win inspired Sonia Desormeaux to concoct con·coct tr.v. con·coct·ed, con·coct·ing, con·cocts 1. To prepare by mixing ingredients, as in cooking. 2. an as-yet secret ``Derby plate'' that will highlight the menu of her Cajun Way Cafe in Sierra Madre Sierra Madre, city, United States Sierra Madre (sēĕr`ə mä`drā), residential city (1990 pop. 10,762), Los Angeles co., S Calif., at the foot of Mt. Wilson; inc. 1907. There is some light manufacturing. , but her husband still might favor the giant-shrimp po' boys. Tonight in Baltimore, Desormeaux will throw out the first pitch at an Orioles game. Saturday, he'll aim for another Triple Crown win aboard Real Quiet in the Preakness Stakes Preakness Stakes One of the three classic U.S. horse races making up the Triple Crown. It is held annually in mid-May at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course. The course distance is 1³⁄₁₆ mi (1.9 km). The field is limited to 3-year-old Thoroughbreds. at Pimlico. Maryland is where Desormeaux won most of his record 598 races in 1989. ``Maryland, I hope, will allow me to call it a homecoming,'' Desormeaux said Wednesday at Hollywood Park Hollywood Park may be several places:
``It's just awesome.'' Upon returning to his home in Bradbury from Louisville, Desormeaux rushed by the 55 messages on his telephone answering machine to his video library and watched ``Casey's Shadow'' and ``The Black Stallion,'' movies that inspired him when he was 11. When hazardous conditions canceled Wednesday's races at Hollywood Park, he nearly drove to a ranch in Santa Ynez to draw more inspiration from the main horse that appeared in ``Casey's Shadow.'' That movie - produced by Ray Starks, whose thoroughbreds Desormeaux has ridden - is based on the career of jockey Randy Romero Randy Romero (born December 22, 1957 in Erath, Louisiana) is a retired American Thoroughbred horse racing jockey. Born into a family involved with horses, his father Lloyd J. , a Louisiana native like Desormeaux. Walter Matthau is the lead actor. ``That's my life,'' said Desormeaux, 28. ``If you watch `Casey's Shadow,' that's how I grew up. That's exactly where I grew up and those are the things I did. I was raised on a bush track . . . I could play every part in that movie.'' His own dreamy movie kept spinning Sunday, when Desormeaux and his family were guests at a Lakers playoff game Noun 1. playoff game - one game in the series of games constituting a playoff game - a single play of a sport or other contest; "the game lasted two hours" playoff - any final competition to determine a championship during the day and shared a private suite with Angels president Tony Tavares that night at Edison Field. Desormeaux raved how he and Tavares spoke all evening as if they had been lifelong friends, and Tavares showered 5-year-old Joshua Desormeaux with Angels memorabilia. Kent even donned an Angels cap around the Hollywood Park jockeys' quarters Wednesday. Sitting before a mound of fried chicken Fried chicken is chicken which is dipped in a breading mixture and then deep fried, pan fried or pressure fried. The breading seals in the juices but also absorbs the fat of the fryer, which is sometimes seen as unhealthy. and mashed potatoes n. pl. 1. Potatoes which have been boiled and mashed to a pulpy consistency, usu. with sparing addition of milk, salt, butter, or other flavoring. It is a popular accompaniment to a meat course [U.S., 1900's], providing bulk and calories to a meal. and gravy, which he littered with pepper, Desormeaux tugged on the bill of his cap and talked about reality. And his mouth. On Jim Rome's cable television sports show Tuesday night, Desormeaux said he got a little too carried away. He spoke of having to ``kiss up'' to owners and trainers for rides during career lulls, but he didn't want to specify his own words that made him mad. ``Every time I say the wrong thing, I want to kick myself in the tail to remember those (bad) times, where I wish I hadn't been,'' Desormeaux said. ``(Tuesday night), I didn't think before I spoke. You have to think before you speak. I have always been too mouthy mouth·y adj. mouth·i·er, mouth·i·est 1. Annoyingly talkative. 2. Given to ranting or bombast. mouth . ``There's a point where it's ugly and rude, and I need to put a sock in it.'' Desormeaux reminisced about how far he'd come since 1992, when a spill at Hollywood Park resulted in Cartagena Slew fracturing his skull in 16 places. ``I know one thing, my number came up in '92,'' he said. ``But the man upstairs said, `No, you got to stick around here and win that (Kentucky) Derby in '98.' '' That didn't seem probable in '97, when a questionable drive sent Desormeaux's career into a spiral. He pulled up at times when victory wasn't likely, miscalculated the finish line once. He received suspensions and fines and was booed by bettors. He had lost the hunger that had earned him Eclipse Awards in 1987 (as an apprentice), '89 and '92. Maybe, he reasoned, he was too high on the hog and seeking a working vacation last year. It hit a low point on March 2, 1997, when he failed to get a ride in either the Santa Anita Santa Anita may refer to:
``I was in the jockey room, ridin' the pine bench,'' he said. ``I had to figure out what I had to do to get back. I was clawin' on the ground, snortin' like a bull. I said, `Do you want to pout and give up and go home, or are you going to scratch and claw?' ``I wanted to scratch and claw.'' Desormeaux said trainer Bob Baffert Bob Baffert (born January 13, 1953 in Nogales, Arizona) is an American horse owner and trainer. He graduated from the University of Arizona's Racetrack Management Program with a Bachelor of Science degree. played a critical role, saddling him with a slew of sterling 2-year-olds during a successful summer stint at Del Mar Del Mar is the name of several places in the United States of America:
Baffert advised him to slow down, stop pressing, worry about his own ride and quit trying to trample the rest of the field. ``California is the most competitive jockey colony in the world,'' Baffert said. ``When you slack up Verb 1. slack up - make less active or fast; "He slackened his pace as he got tired"; "Don't relax your efforts now" slacken, slack, relax minify, decrease, lessen - make smaller; "He decreased his staff" a little bit, they have no mercy. He slacked off and took life for granted, but the talent was still there. It was constructive criticism, and he takes it well. ``He knows me well enough now where, if I say something he doesn't want to admit, he gives me his (high-pitched) Cajun accent - `What're you talking about?' We joke about it. It's fun.'' Dreamy, too. Like chasing your own shadow. ``The next one, I'll have no problem with. It's going to be very easy, and I'm very confident,'' Desormeaux said of the Preakness. ``If we take the next one, the third one will bring a heavier burden on my shoulders. It's just history. Now you're messing with history.'' DESORMEAUX PROFILE Age: 28 Hometown: Maurice, La. Residence: Bradbury Height: 5-foot-3 Weight: 115 pounds Career: Given Eclipse Award in 1987, and again in '89 and '92. . . . Won a record 598 races in 1989. That led the nation's jockeys for a third year in a row, which only Pat Day and Bill Hartack have accomplished. . . . Claimed his first Kentucky Derby in seven tries two weeks ago atop Real Quiet, whose odds are 5-2 to win Saturday's Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in Baltimore. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos, 2 Boxes Photo: (1--Color) There were times early last year when Kent Desormeaux couldn't get a ride in major races. John Dunn/Associated Press (2) no caption (DESORMEAUX) Box: (1) DESORMEAUX: BY THE NUMBERS (2) DESORMEAUX PROFILE (See Text) |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion