HOLLYWOOD PARK : Stewards Suspend Desormeaux

Although traveling isn’t what Kent Desormeaux wants to be doing this week, the jockey and his family will head to Louisiana for a surprise visit to his parents and in-laws.

Desormeaux has nothing against going back home, but Hollywood Park’s leading rider would prefer to spend his time working.

However, he had no choice in the matter after stewards Pete Pedersen, Tom Ward and Will Meyers suspended Desormeaux for five days Saturday morning for failure to ride out Quickasyouplease past the finish line during the ninth race on Thursday. The suspension will begin Wednesday and last through Sunday.

The 3-2 favorite in the $32,000 claiming race for California-bred maidens, Quickasyouplease was a clear third approaching the wire when Desormeaux stood up in the saddle. Sky Bryn, a 36-1 shot, rallied and was able to dead-heat Quickasyouplease for third.

It wasn’t the first time Desormeaux has been cited for standing up before the wire. He was fined $500 for a similar incident on April, 22, 1992, and fined $1,000 when failing to ride out Susan’s Corsair in the ninth race on Feb. 13. Susan’s Corsair finished third, beaten by a nose for second.

“We have to get his attention, whatever it takes,” Pedersen said. “We’ve had Kent in on this matter before and we told him that the next step would be (a suspension) if there were repeat offenses. The horse came out of the race OK except he had a temperature. You can’t make any excuses for it.

“He’s a world-class rider, but this is something he’s going to have to get off his back. It’s a habit he’s had for a long time.

“We try to check out everything we can and we’re satisfied that there was nothing calculated by Kent Desormeaux to manipulate races or anything along those lines. I heard a lot of reasons (from Desormeaux), but they weren’t enough. There is no excuse for it.”

Said Desormeaux: “I definitely don’t think the crime fit the punishment, that’s for sure, if there’s a crime at all. I don’t think (the stewards) should make judgments on what they don’t know about.

“(Quickasyouplease) was lugging in fiercely bad. All he wanted to do was make a left-hand turn the whole course of the race. I did what was right for the horse and what was right for the rest of the riders and horses, and it didn’t cost a placing. If anything, twice as much money was made because it was a dead heat. There was no harm done to anybody.

“I did everything I possibly could to ride a good race and win. If I had dropped the horse’s head and whipped his (flanks) he would have run into the inside rail.”

Desormeaux also said that the stewards are making an example of him.

“They’re making such a big deal about me, and I’m the only one they notice,” he said. “Please treat me fairly. If somebody else does the same thing, (punish them). I’m pretty upset about the whole ordeal. I can’t say absolutely there’s zero wrongdoing, but it’s not worth (a suspension).

” . . . I’m the only one who is watched. I just don’t know what’s expected of me here.”

Desormeaux said that he won’t appeal the ruling. “The time off will probably do me good anyway,” he said. “The only time you get a vacation is when you get a suspension.”

A similar violation could lead to a lengthier suspension for Desormeaux, although Ward noticed aggressiveness in the first two races Saturday.

“If those races are any evidence, (Desormeaux got the message) because he’s been on his belly,” Ward said. “He’s so busy on a horse, it’s so obvious when he does relax on them.”

*

Desormeaux earned some traveling money with three victories Saturday, including one by half a length aboard Future Storm in the $113,900 Will Rogers Handicap.

The victim of a troubled trip when seventh in the Spotlight Breeders’ Cup Handicap three weeks earlier, the 4-1 shot had clear sailing and beat Lykatill Hil and 6-5 favorite Earl Of Barking in 1:40 for the 1 1/16 miles on turf.

It was the second victory in three U.S. starts for Future Storm and he is two for two with Desormeaux.

“He was outside, which is probably good for him,” trainer Bobby Frankel said. “He runs like he’s a little green, almost like he might need blinkers. I was going to ship him east and run on dirt, but since he ran so well here I want to run him once more on the grass (in the Cinema Handicap on June 26). He acts like a dirt horse, trains well on it and looks like a dirt horse.”

Earl Of Barking, an easy winner of the Spotlight, changed his style Saturday after drawing the inside post. He was second to longshot Westcot early, took the lead before six furlongs, and weakened a bit late under high weight of 122 pounds.

Horse Racing Notes

Jockey Julio Garcia was also given a five-day suspension for a disqualification on Ode To Code in the sixth race on Thursday. Garcia was cited for careless riding and his mount was moved from second to fourth after interfering with I’m So Clever. . . . Looie Capote is the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the $112,600 Hawthorne Handicap today at Hollywood Park. Kent Desormeaux will ride the 4-year-old filly, who is expected to have 10 rivals in the 1 1/16-mile race. Golden Treat is the 7-2 second choice.

Hollywood Park, which offers a bonus of $500,000 on Saturdays if there is only one winning Pick Six ticket and it is purchased at the track, would have had to pay off Saturday if Momonymomonymomony had won the ninth race. The 3-year-old gelding finished a distant fourth. . . . Boundlessly beat O’Star to win the $100,000 Sheridan Stakes at Arlington International. The race was simulcast locally.