Desormeaux Wins Five of His First Six Races

Kent Desormeaux padded his lead among Del Mar jockeys Thursday afternoon with five victories, none on favorites and all coming in the first six races as he threatened to tie the record of six victories on one card.

Desormeaux won the first race on Cheta ($9.40), the second on Delightful Daun ($13.20), the fourth on Janet Garrison ($7.80), the fifth on Written Words ($15.20) and the sixth on The Immobilizer ($6.60).

The five victories gave Desormeaux 46 winners on 180 mounts, a winning percentage of .256. Gary Stevens is second with 32 winners.

Desormeaux’s closest call in pursuit of that sixth victory was in the seventh race, when Rushing Attack finished third only one-half length back. A sixth victory would have tied him with Bill Shoemaker (1954), Rudy Rosales (1969) and Laffit Pincay (1976 and 1978) for victories on one Del Mar card.