Texas Red ready as he can be
ELMONT, N.Y. – Both before and after Texas Red won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by an eye-catching 6 1/2 lengths last November, trainer Keith Desormeaux always felt the best was in front of the son of Afleet Alex. Though he missed virtually all of the first half of his 3-year-old season, perhaps Texas Red can finally start to prove his trainer’s theory correct when he begins the second half of the year in Saturday’s Grade 2, $500,000 Dwyer Stakes at Belmont Park.
A field of seven 3-year-olds was entered in the Dwyer, which will be run as a one-turn mile for the first time. The race did not attract any runners from this year’s Triple Crown series, but with Texas Red, Tommy Macho, Blofeld, and Speightster in the field, there certainly are a number of intriguing runners in the race.
Texas Red was beaten a neck by Lord Nelson in the Grade 2 San Vicente in February and then was knocked off the Triple Crown trail by a foot abscess. Physically, the horse has blossomed, according to Desormeaux.
“It looks like his pedigree profile, which says he’s going to get better with age, is coming to fore,” Desormeaux said. “He has the size, the big bones, the brawn that most of those Afleet Alex’s have, and he’s grown substantially since he was a 2-year-old, and, heck, he was big then. He’s grown up nicely, he’s filling out, and he is rounding into the horse that we always thought he could be.”
Desormeaux said his horses coming off a layoff usually need a race, but he added that he’s done enough with Texas Red in the morning to believe he’s properly fit to win in his first race in five months.
Texas Red has been based at Santa Anita.
“My only concern is that he’s training on a different track,” said Desormeaux, who didn’t ship Texas Red here until Wednesday. “We all know Belmont is ‘Big Sandy.’ I’ve heard the legend of the place, and I know it’s a deeper, looser surface. If he handles that, fitness won’t be a problem. If he spins his wheels a little bit, we’ll be in trouble.”
Kent Desormeaux, Keith’s brother, has the call from post 4.
KEY CONTENDERS
Texas Red (Last 3 Beyers: 91-104-93)
◗ He would benefit from a pace battle, which he could get with Bridget’s Big Luvy, Hollywood Angel, and even Tommy Macho all seemingly preferring to be involved early.
Speightster (Beyers: 98-90)
◗ Steps into stakes company after two eye-catching wins to begin his career for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and WinStar Farm.
◗ Made a couple of different moves and still won in hand when taking an allowance race by 3 1/2 lengths June 5, earning a 98 Beyer Speed Figure.
◗ His unraced dam, Dance Swiftly, is a sibling to three Grade 1 winners, including Smart Strike and Dance Smartly.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 6 Speightster. Trainer Bill Mott is 19-3-5-1 with a $0.90 ROI over the past five years going sprint to route on dirt with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Tommy Macho (Last 3 Beyers: 95-87-76)
◗ He has gone 2 for 2 since moving to trainer Todd Pletcher’s barn, including a 3 1/4-length score in a first-level allowance race going 1 1/16 miles on the Belmont Stakes undercard.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Tommy Macho. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 107-37-15-9 with a $2.32 ROI over the past two years in dirt route graded stakes with last-out winners. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan