Desormeaux's wife will have to wait to make riding debut

CYPRESS, Calif. – A California policy prohibiting inexperienced apprentice jockeys from riding 2-year-olds will prevent Rosie Higgins from riding in what would have been her first race on Saturday. The wife of Hall of Fame rider Kent Desormeaux, Higgins was named on the 2-year-old Sunny Truce in Saturday’s ninth race at Los Alamitos, but will not be allowed to ride because of a policy that requires apprentice jockeys to have five wins before they can ride a 2-year-old or a first-time starter, according to steward Luis Jauregui.

The policy is not a California Horse Racing Board rule and was developed in conjunction with the Jockey’s Guild, said Jauregui.

Higgins, 31, is an exercise rider for Bob Hess Jr., who trains Sunny Truce. Sunny Truce has lost both his starts.

“I have to pass this one up,” said Higgins. “I’ll have to wait for the next one. I’m sure Bob will find something for me.”

Higgins was raised in Ohio and has worked as an exercise rider at numerous racetracks in the U.S. She and Desormeaux have been married three years.

“He’s been very supportive,” said Higgins. “He knows that I love what I do. Since I was little, I wanted to race ride. Now is the time.”