Kent Desormeaux gets reacquainted with Belmont Park

ELMONT, N.Y. - Kent Desormeaux got reintroduced to Belmont Park and Exaggerator Tuesday morning, guiding the Preakness winner through his final workout in preparation for Saturday’s $1.5 million Belmont Stakes.

For the Hall of Fame rider, it was his first time at Belmont since last July 6 when he rode two horses for his brother Keith, who is also the trainer of Exaggerator. Tuesday also was Desormeaux’s first time in public since he announced over the weekend he had spent a week in an alcohol rehabilitation program in Utah. He arrived in New York Monday night.

Desormeaux, 46, who has a history of alcohol-related issues including receiving a $2,500 fine from the Del Mar stewards for riding while impaired last summer at that track, made only one brief statement on his decision to enroll in an alcohol-related program at Cirque Lodge in Sundance, Utah.

“I think that my brother, mostly my wife and my family have supported me through all the years, and it was my turn to say thank you,” said Desormeaux, who was accompanied to New York by Kevin McLaughlin, a chemical dependency therapist.

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Desormeaux, along with Keith, spoke approximately two hours after he had guided Exaggerator through a five-furlong work in 1:00.92, according to Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch. Approaching the top of the stretch in the work, Exaggerator bore out several paths. Desormeaux said that was a result of Exaggerator switching leads early. For about "40 or 50 yards," Desormeaux said, he allowed Exaggerator to drift out several paths. In the stretch, Desormeaux guided Exaggerator back to the inside. He got his final quarter in 24.47 seconds and he galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.91 and seven-eighths in 1:27.07.

Kent Desormeaux said Exaggerator “felt the same” to him as before his workout leading up to the Kentucky Derby.

The return to Belmont was a homecoming of sorts. Desormeaux rode regularly in New York for five years, from 2006-10. He won the 2009 Belmont Stakes on Summer Bird a year after pulling up Big Brown - at almost the same point on the track that Exaggerator began to get out - when he was going for the 2008 Triple Crown.

Desormeaux said he was glad to get a refresher course over the Belmont oval.

“I got to take a spin this morning," Desormeaux said. "It was an eye-opener. It is the Big Sandy - it’s different. Exaggerator seemed to enjoy the going.”

Desormeaux said riding Exaggerator for his brother in the Triple Crown series has helped strengthen their relationship.

“I would have to say it’s definitely brought us closer,” Desormeaux said. “We have to talk now. It’s been wonderful. We’ve been brothers all our lives - you can’t pick your family. He’s been my idol all my life and now I’m getting to perform for him.”