Plans in flux for My Boy Jack

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. -- My Boy Jack’s long range target is established – the Kentucky Derby the first Saturday in May.

The path he will take get there is to be determined, trainer Keith Desormeaux said on Tuesday, a day after the horse won the Grade 3, $500,000 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn. My Boy Jack earned 10 eligibility points for the Kentucky Derby for his4 1/2-length victory, giving him a total of 12.

Desormeaux said points will be a part of the discussion as he and Don’t Tell My Wife Stables and Monomoy Stables sort out a schedule for My Boy Jack. The horse earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 93 for his win in the Southwest and on Tuesday he was bright and alert while walking the shed row at Oaklawn.

“He ate up last night,” Desormeaux said. “He seemed happy and fresh this morning. No worse for the wear.

“Knowing that you have a horse that’s only going to relish more ground is what makes things very exciting.”

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Desormeaux said races that will be considered for My Boy Jack are the Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel on March 17 at Oaklawn and the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 24 at Fair Grounds. He said his initial thought is that the horse just needs one more prep, but added that with just 12 points and the chance of tough racing luck or a subpar effort in any given race, he has to be open to other plans leading up to the Kentucky Derby.

“Probably the most practical angle – if we’ve got a fall-back plan – would be to come back for the Rebel, run one-two, get the points, and have a nice break to come into the [Kentucky] Derby fresh,” Desormeaux said. “Or, maybe run in a race like the Louisiana Derby that gives you a two-week span to come back in the Arkansas Derby or the Blue Grass [if needed], but then you’re going to be running twice in five weeks. We’ll talk about it with the owners. We’re not going to do anything impractical. We’ll just do what’s best for the horse and, as they say, the rest will take care of itself.”

My Boy Jack was scheduled to return home to Southern California on Wednesday.