Desormeaux Takes Fast Lane to 4,000

On his way to becoming the world’s winningest rider with 9,064 victories, Laffit Pincay Jr. won his 4,000th race when he was 32.

At this point, Kent Desormeaux is ahead of Pincay’s pace.

When 9-10 favorite Temporary Appeal won the first race Sunday at Santa Anita, Desormeaux became the 39th jockey to reach 4,000 wins and he won’t turn 31 until Feb. 27.

Riding for longtime supporter, trainer Bob Hess Jr., and with wife Sonia and sons Jacob and Joshua on hand, Desormeaux reached the magic number at a younger age than another hall of famer. Gary Stevens was 33 when he hit 4,000.

“Bob Hess and I sort of started our careers together here and I want to thank him for letting me have the pick of his litter,” said Desormeaux. “You don’t think of numbers on this occasion. You’re certainly very proud and I’m honored to have accomplished this, but it is the daily winners that get you to go to the Kentucky Derby.

“You’ve got to win races and prove that you can do it time and time again to get the good rides. I want to thank everyone again who [has] given me opportunities and had confidence in me.”

A three-time Eclipse Award winner, Desormeaux isn’t making any predictions about how many wins he’ll end up with before he calls it a career.

“I would say the same thing Laffit has said,” Desormeaux said. “As long as you are getting opportunities to ride horses that make you want to wake up the next day and go to work, it’s fun. But, 9,000 wins sure seems like a lifetime away.”

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Defending champion Lady At Peace is among 12 fillies and mares entered in today’s $150,000 San Gorgonio Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on the turf.

Trained by the late Eddie Gregson when she won the Grade II last year, Lady At Peace only had to beat four rivals that day, but two of them were multiple-stakes winner Spanish Fern, who died tragically when competing in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, and Riboletta, the soon-to-be champion older female of 2000.

Lady At Peace, a 5-year-old daughter of Lord At War, is winless in four starts since the San Gorgonio. Most recently, she was fifth, beaten less than two lengths, in an allowance race Dec. 29. Stevens will ride the 6-1 shot.

The 7-2 favorite on Jeff Tufts’ morning line is Beautiful Noise, a consistent daughter of Sunny’s Halo trained by Ron McAnally for owner Janis Whitham.

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Trainer Darrell Vienna made it back-to-back stakes wins at Santa Anita when favored Echo Eddie won the $109,600 Sensational Star Handicap on Sunday. Vienna had won the San Miguel with Lasersport on Saturday.

This was the fourth win in eight starts for Echo Eddie since he was purchased privately by owners David and Rita Milch. The $65,760 payday pushed his earnings since the purchase to $222,706.

Rallying along the inside under jockey Iggy Puglisi, the 4-year-old Restless Con gelding won by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:14 2/5 for the about 6 1/2 furlongs on turf. Unlimited Value was second and Macward third.