Texas Red returns in San Vicente Stakes

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Arcadia, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red begins his 3-year-old season Sunday in the $200,000 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita Park.

Texas Red, trained by Keith Desormeaux and ridden by the trainer's brother Kent, will start the seven-furlong race from post 4 in the eight-horse field.

Co-owned by his trainer, Texas Red won the Juvenile on Nov. 1 by 6 1/2 lengths as a 13-1 longshot, just his second win in five starts. The son of Afleet Alex has earned $1,192,300.

Keith Desormeaux has plans to bring the colt along quickly leading to the Kentucky Derby on May 2.

"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 $1,000,000 Santa Anita Derby (on Apr. 4)," the trainer said.

"It's still on schedule. It's always been kind of a tentative schedule, like with all things concerning racehorses," Desormeaux continued. "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.

"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. If he can do what he did as a juvenile, what can he accomplish as a 3-year-old?"

Here is the field for the San Vicente in post position order: Lord Nelson, Rafael Bejarano; Serbian Syclone, Elvis Trujillo; Jazzy Josh, Flavien Prat; Texas Red, Kent Desormeaux; Punctuate, Martin Garcia; Magic Taste, Omar Santos; Bench Warrant, Tyler Baze and Sir Samson, Joe Talamo.

Post time for the 74th San Vicente is approximately 4:30 p.m. ET.