Texas Red works slow, easy half-mile

Texas Red, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 1, worked a half-mile in 51.40 seconds at Santa Anita on Saturday, his first major exercise since a return to serious training earlier this month.

Trained by Keith Desormeaux, Texas Red will be based in Southern California this winter. Desormeaux has mentioned the $200,000 San Vicente Stakes for 3-year-olds over seven furlongs at Santa Anita on Feb. 1 as a potential comeback race.

Desormeaux said he was not expecting a quick workout from Texas Red on Saturday.

“It was uneventful,” he said. “He did have some unexpected company, but it didn’t affect the work.”

Desormeaux timed Texas Red in 11.80 seconds for the final furlong.

“It was more about getting him started for his first work back,” he said.

Owned by the partnership of Erich Brehm, Wayne Detmar, Lee Michaels, and Desormeaux, Texas Red won his first stakes in the BC Juvenile, closing from last in a field of 11 to win by a convincing 6 1/2 lengths as a 13-1 shot. Keith’s brother, Kent, rode Texas Red in the BC Juvenile.

Texas Red was third to American Pharoah in the Grade 1 FrontRunner Stakes at Santa Anita on Sept. 27 in his stakes debut. By Afleet Alex, Texas Red has won 2 of 5 starts and earned $1,192,300.