Desormeaux’s Del Mar Victory Total Hits 1

For the past three years, Kent Desormeaux has led the nation’s riders in victories. And in 1989, Desormeaux ran away with the Eclipse Award as North America’s top rider by winning a world-record 598 races.

Much of Desormeaux’s success came on the Maryland racing circuit, a far cry from Southern California’s--considered by many jockeys to be the most competitive in the world.

Desormeaux began proving his worth during the Hollywood Park meeting, in which he finished sixth in the jockey standings despite missing 18 days of racing because of suspensions and injuries.

Wednesday, the opening day of the seven-week meeting at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Desormeaux, 20, continued to prove that he can win on both coasts.

After struggling a bit early, Desormeaux rode Fly Gaelic, a 3-year old filly, to his first Del Mar victory in the seventh race.

“We broke the ice,” Desormeaux said in what’s left of his Louisiana drawl. “It gets the monkey off my back. I was beginning to wonder when I was going to get a win.”

Desormeaux edged Lean Pirate, ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye, by a nose.

“(Eddie) was on my shoulders down the whole stretch, but my horse showed a lot of speed,” said Desormeaux, a native of Lafayette, La. “He had to be real game.”

Before Desormeaux’s victory, his best finish was second in the second race. His horse, Major Moment, lost by a head to Racing Rascal, ridden by Alex Solis.

“The horse bled the whole way,” Desormeaux said. “We should have won by five lengths.”

At the time, it looked as if that might be the highlight of an inauspicious Del Mar debut for Desormeaux.

When he came to the track, he discovered his name had been misspelled six of the eight times it was listed in the program--in each instance, the “x” was omitted.

But Delahoussaye, who is entering his 11th Del Mar meeting, said Desormeaux should get used to being just another jockey.

“He’s used to winning a lot of races,” Delahoussaye said. “I remember my first season at Del Mar wasn’t a very good one. It’s an adjustment. You’re not going to win a lot of races here. Your ego takes a beating--even if you’ve been here 11 years.”

Desormeaux said he is quite aware of Del Mar’s reputation.

“You know you have to come here with your head on your shoulder,” he said.

But there was a moment two months ago when Desormeaux wondered if he would have a head for his shoulder. He was involved in the June 3 spill at Hollywood Park that broke both of Chris McCarron’s legs and one of his arms. Desormeaux suffered cracked ribs and missed a week.

“It scares you,” Desormeaux said. “It makes you think the next couple of days. But instead of thinking about how banged up you are, you think about getting back on the track. You’ve got the grit in your teeth that won’t leave.”

Which is the main reason Desormeaux decided put his record on the line in California this year.

“The pride takes you here,” he said. “The purses are absolutely the best, and so is the weather. So why not come to where the best is? I pretty much accomplished all I could in Maryland.”

And Maryland doesn’t have a beach less than a mile from the track.

“I’ll probably be spending most of my mornings at beach,” Desormeaux said. “I think I’ll try to do some jet-skiing.”

How about some body surfing?

“I tried that, but it’s a little too dangerous.”

Then again, maybe Desormeaux still has some adjusting left to do.