Texas Red displays new tactics to take Jim Dandy

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - The past performances indicated that Texas Red was at his best when there was a fast pace in front of him and he could sit back and make one run.

Kent Desormeaux, the rider of Texas Red, said that is a misnomer. In Saturday’s Grade 2, $600,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, Texas Red proved his jockey correct.

In a scratch-reduced field of four, Texas Red sat second, always within 1 1/2 lengths of the pacesetting Japan. But in the stretch, he displayed that same determined late run and won the Jim Dandy by a half-length over Frosted. It was 3 3/4 lengths back to Japan, who finished seven lengths ahead of Frammento.

Competitive Edge and Upstart scratched to run in Sunday’s Grade 1, $1.75 million Haskell. Tekton scratched after running second in Friday’s Curlin Stakes.

The win was the third from eight career starts for Texas Red and first since he rallied from last to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last Nov. 1.

That day, the opening half-mile was 45.66 seconds and Texas Red was 11 lengths back. Saturday, the half-mile fraction was 48.15 seconds and Texas Red was within 1 1/2 lengths.

Texas Red went after Japan in midstretch, and after getting past him, he still had plenty left to fend off Frosted. Texas Red, owned by Erich Brehm, Wayne Detmar, Lee Michaels, and his trainer, Keith Desormeaux, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.77 and returned $5.70 to win as the second choice.

“I rode him the exact same way I rode him in the Breeders’ Cup,” Desormeaux said. “I jumped out of the gate, I sat the bridle and let him canter along. In the Breeders Cup he sat 15 back. … The race was a different set-up.”

Texas Red, a son of dual classic winner Afleet Alex, missed the Triple Crown series due to a foot problem diagnosed after he ran second in the San Vicente at Santa Anita on Feb. 1. He returned in the July 4 Dwyer at Belmont, a one-turn mile race, where he ran second to the talented one-turn horse Speightster.

“He was blowing after the Dwyer, he set himself down and tried desperately to catch the winner, but the winner was going as fast as he was,” Desormeaux said. “He strained really hard in the Dwyer. His fitness is better.”

With two races under his belt, Texas Red should really be fit for the $1.25 million Travers Stakes at 1 1/4 miles here on Aug. 29.

“I think he can only improve,” Desormeaux said. “He’s a huge-striding, real-estate loving kind of horse.”

Keith Desormeaux, who watched the Jim Dandy from Del Mar, said he was really happy with the way Texas Red got over the track.

“The thing I took away from the race is his action is completely different,” he said. “He moves beautiful over the track. He obviously loves the surface. Our goal is in a month.”

Asked if he would like to face Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Travers, Kent Desormeaux gave an honest answer.

“No. I’d rather be a big fish in a little pond,” he said. “We’ll save that for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.”

Keith Desormeaux gave a different answer.

“No doubt Texas Red would be ready for the challenge,” he said. “I think it would be great. Why not?

Texas Red will most certainly meet Frosted again in the Travers. Frosted, in his first start since running second to American Pharoah in the Belmont Stakes, was up close going into the turn, dropped back a little down the backstretch, and tried to re-rally in the stretch under Joel Rosario.

“We got beat, we ran very well, nice horse won it, and we gave the winner four pounds,” said Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of Frosted. “We came to win the race, we couldn’t get by him. But four-horse races are always a little tricky. It’ll be different in four weeks and it was a good effort.”

Saratoga’s all-sources handle Saturday was $26,644,636, a 14 percent increase over last year’s Jim Dandy Day number of $23,337,917. Saturday was aided by a triple pick six carryover in which $1,535,657 was wagered into the pool on top of a $309,846 carryover.

The pick six was hit and returned $53,870.