Texas Red Nears Return to Training

Keith Desormeaux admitted Sept. 7 that 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) winner Texas Red is still a long way away from his return to racing, but the trainer expects the 4-year-old Afleet Alex   colt to return to his barn at Santa Anita Park soon.

Unraced since his fifth-place run in the 2015 Travers Stakes (gr. I), which was preceded by his victory over Frosted in the Jim Dandy (gr. II), Texas Red was close to a comeback in April. Desormeaux entered the bay colt in the Thunder Road Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Santa Anita, which would have been his first start on turf, but rain softened the grass course and the trainer decided to withdraw Texas Red.



During his next workout, he sustained a minor ankle injury and has been recently turned out locally in Southern California to rest.

"We've had some bumps in the road, but nothing major," Desormeaux said. "We'll attempt to bring him back in a couple of weeks to train at Santa Anita, but he's still a ways away from racing."

Desormeaux said he wouldn't rule out turf entirely for Texas Red's future, but doesn't see it as a focus for the time being.

"(The Thunder Road) was going to be a prep race," Desormeaux said. "Grass should not be an issue for him and it could be a possibility sometime in his career, but we won't start out with that unless there are no dirt races to run in."

One of Desormeaux's oft-used lines regarding the $17,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase in 2013, who has earned more than $1.7 million racing, is "he doesn't owe us anything," but the trainer doesn't shy away from his confidence in Texas Red as the colt advances in age.

"It's mostly anticipatory, because he did all of his running as a 2-year-old and as an early 3-year-old," Desormeaux said of his feelings regarding Texas Red's return to training. "I know what he's capable of if his mature body will allow him. It's exciting because we know how talented he is."