Texas Red Drills for Dwyer in SoCal Heat
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In an effort to give Texas Red a true training test in preparation for the $500,000 Dwyer Stakes (gr. III) at Belmont Park July 4, trainer Keith Desormeaux sent out the Breeders Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner for a mile workout June 21, in between the fourth and fifth races at Santa Anita Park.
Working in tandem with stablemate Salty Kid, the Afleet Alex colt covered the mile over Santa Anita's dirt track in 1:38.97 under jockey Kent Desormeaux. He ran fractions of :25.33, :50.29, and 1:15.20 through six furlongs.
"The last half in :48 3/5, the last eighth in :11 2/5... It looks like he's fit," Keith Desormeaux said. "That's why we do these things. It gets the adrenaline pumping."
With the temperature in the low 90s at the Arcadia, Calif. track Sunday, the conditioner felt it was important to get the colt into hot conditions, which he feels his horse will encounter in New York.
"This beautiful Southern California weather—we train him every day in 50- and 60-degree weather," Keith Desormeaux said. "He really never got taxed—really taxed—over a sixth-month period, except for (a second-place finish) in the San Vicente (gr. II). I just wanted to tax his body a little bit in preparation for this New York heat. In July, it will probably be high heat and high humidity. I'm just trying to simulate that in his work."
Fellow Breeders' Cup winners Goldencents and Mucho Macho Man got the same treatment, with afternoon workouts between races at Santa Anita, in 2014.
Desormeaux said Texas Red will ship to New York from Santa Anita July 1. He began his 3-year-old season with the San Vicente, but was taken off the Triple Crown trail when his recovery from a foot abscess extended into the key Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) prep races.