2023 Preakness: Desormeaux shares in blame for Confidence Game's Derby
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There are not many trainers who are excited at the prospect of running their horses back in the Preakness two weeks after they were beaten by Mage in the Kentucky Derby.
Keith Desormeaux is one trainer who does want to run back. He just wants his horse Confidence Game to share that enthusiasm.
“I definitely want to run,” Desormeaux said. “We’re going to wait and make that final decision after we train him this weekend. I’ll have a final decision by Saturday or Sunday. I just want to see some vibrance in his training, a good appetite and all the typical things you know.”
Though Confidence Game finished 10th, 14 1/2 lengths behind Mage in the Derby, Desormeaux didn’t think it was a bad effort.
First, Confidence Game hadn’t run since Feb. 25, when he upset the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at odds of 18-1. Second, in the Derby, Confidence Game was two lengths off a hot pace – they ran six furlongs in 1:10.11 – and he was in contention until the three-sixteenths pole.
“To be that close to a pace that fast obviously had an effect on his finish,” Desormeaux said. “I have more respect for that horse now than ever because he fought on. He made his move at the quarter pole and continued to fight but he was out of steam by then.”
Desormeaux took most of the blame for his horse being that close to the pace under jockey James Graham, noting that he had trained him aggressively coming off a 10-week layoff.
“James does need to have a little bit better judge of pace but I’ll take a lot of the blame, we trained him that way,” said Desormeaux, who won the 2016 Preakness with Exaggerator, who had finished second to Nyquist in the Kentucky Derby. “We sharpened him up. We didn’t necessarily train for speed,but I had him aggressive in his works and he ran that way. Is that a jockey error? No, it’s a trainer error, but with that being said my jock needs to be more aware of how fast he’s going.”
Desormeaux said he plans to keep Graham on the horse for the Preakness.
Desormeaux said he was never worried about Confidence Game’s fitness entering the Derby.
“It’s not a fitness thing, it’s a sharpness thing,” Desormeaux said. “Now that he has a race he won’t be as keen in the Preakness, so yes it sets up good for him.”
The pace is likely to be much different in the Preakness than in the Derby. As of Thursday, none of the speed horses who ran in the Derby were expected back in the Preakness. The new shooters who would appear to have the most tactical speed are First Mission and National Treasure.
:: DRF's Preakness Headquarters: Contenders, latest news, and more
Besides Mage and Confidence Game, the only other horse from the Kentucky Derby under consideration for the Preakness is Disarm, who rallied from 13th to finish fourth.
The Preakness would be Disarm’s third race in five weeks, so it is no sure thing he is running. Asmussen is also considering the late-running Red Route One for the Preakness.
Blazing Sevens, Chase the Chaos, and Perform are the other new faces being pointed to the Preakness.
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