Desormeaux arrested in Louisiana for domestic abuse

An official from the Breaux Bridge, La., police department confirmed early Friday afternoon that jockey Kent Desormeaux was taken into custody and arrested for “domestic abuse and battery” and was being transported to the St. Martin Correctional Facility, where he could remain for the weekend if unable to make bail arrangements on Friday.

Desormeaux was named to ride Stilleto Boy for trainer Ed Moger Jr. in Saturday’s $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational. He will be replaced by Jose Ortiz, who guided Stilleto Boy to an easy, wire-to-wire victory in the Iowa Derby on July 2. That was the last time Stilleto Boy ran for trainer Doug Anderson, having been transferred to Moger’s barn subsequent to that race.

Stilleto Boy, who is owned by Moger’s brother Steve, has gone winless in five starts since the Iowa Derby. He finished second behind Medina Spirit in the Grade 1 Awesome Again, and fifth, beaten 10 1/4 lengths by Knicks Go, in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Desormeaux has a long history of struggles with alcohol and the law. He failed Breathalyzer tests on raceday on two occasions, in 2010 and 2012. In 2011, he entered a guilty plea of disorderly conduct after hitting a security guard at Saratoga Race Course with his car.

In 2016, after struggling to get rides for five years, he checked himself into a rehabilitation facility just one week after he won the Preakness on Exaggerator, a horse trained by his brother Keith. After an eight-day stay, he returned to riding.

In 2020, Desormeaux was suspended for 15 days by the California Horse Racing Board after he used a racial slur against a Black cameraman, which led to an altercation between the two. The ruling required Desormeaux to be evaluated by the Winners Foundation, which provides assistance to racetrackers who have substance-abuse problems. Desormeaux later entered a long-term rehabilitation clinic in Pasadena.

--Additional reporting by Matt Hegarty and Jay Privman