GOLDEN GLIMPSES #46 GOLDEN GLIMPSES #46 DESORMEAUX GOES TO BEACH IN BID FOR MORE BUSINESS
Kent Desormeaux has gone to the beach. Brian Beach, that is.
After sharing agent Ron Anderson with Gary Stevens for 10 weeks, Desormeaux is flying solo again and will be represented exclusively by Beach, a former sportscaster and race track publicist.
"Gary and I were just in identical situations," explained Desormeaux, a three-time Eclipse Award winner whose mounts have been few and far between compared to the glory days of 1993 when he was riding seven and eight horses a day and winning races in clusters.
Desormeaux, who will be 27 on Feb. 27, is the youngest rider ever to win 3,000 races. In mid-August, he severed business ties with his long-time agent, Gene Short.
But despite the efforts of Anderson, who reads a condition book with the best of them, Desormeaux not only continued to struggle for winners, he struggled for mounts. With two days remaining in Santa Anita's 27-day meet, he had ridden only 69 horses and won with 10.
"Gary and I also ride for the exact same people," Desormeaux said. "Also, things slowed down for both of us, mainly because we were out of town a lot in the last two months.
"When Gary and I were both open and Ron approached a trainer and offered him me or Stevens, the decision was obvious -- Gary has a little hotter hand than I have right now. So if there was anything that was gonna shake loose, it was probably going to go Gary's way.
"I need someone who's gonna be pro-Desormeaux. This is no reflection on Ron. Believe me, he is an excellent agent. I've never seen someone carry himself with so much confidence. And that's exactly why I hired Beach. He also has the utmost confidence.
"I can say this for Ron: even though I've (only) ridden two or three a day, I have not ridden a single horse that did not have a chance."
Beach, 33, has been a successful agent in the Bay Area since 1992. The native of Spokane, Wash., will join with Desormeaux with the opening of Hollywood Park.
Obviously, riding two and three a day will not cut it for a world-class jockey still in his prime, even though Desormeaux would be the first to admit he has been his own worst enemy at times.
"I know I have to do my part," the Louisiana native said. "I'd like to create nine chances a day, that's what I want."
GOLDEN PICKS
EDDIE A. -- Northern California invader never got untracked from rail. Desrves another chance versus $32,000 claiming sprinters.
GOLD CAPITAL -- Craig Lewis-trained first-timer was impressive in last-to-first debut, should stand raise from claiming maiden company.
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When it comes to putting a jockey on live horses in big-money races, nobody does it better than agent Scotty McClellan.
He did it again when he landed Chris McCarron on Breeders' Cup Classic winner Alphabet Soup. McClellan credits luck, but there's more to it than that.
"We were riding him over a year ago and had done very well on the horse," McClellan said.
"When the Native Diver came up last year, Best Pal and Alphabet Soup both ran and we had to make a choice. Both horses were very good at the time, but Best Pal was such a hero with the fans, it was hard to take off, so we stayed with him.
"He retired right after the race, but I didn't know that going in. (Chris) Antley rode Alphabet Soup and did very well with him. Dave (trainer Dave Hofmans) always wanted to put us back on Alphabet Soup, but the opportunity didn't develop.
"Antley was doing so well, Dave didn't feel it was right to take him off. Then I guess Dave wasn't happy with Antley's last ride (second by a neck as the 3-5 favorite in the Del Mar Breeders' Cup Handicap on Sept. 8). We were available for the Goodwood and when Dave asked us to ride, I said, 'We'd love to,' and that's how we got on him."
THE HOMESTRETCH: Corey Nakatani had three body guards, one personal and two from Santa Anita, during the latter days of the Oak Tree meet. Nakatani's 22-year-old sister, Dawn, was strangled on Oct. 1 and her killer is still at large . . . If you're wondering what Alex Solis said that made Jerry Bailey laugh in the starting gate before the Breeders' Cup Classic, it was this: "I just yelled to the starter, 'Let 'em go now. We can have a match race.'" . . . Eddie Delahoussaye, hospitalized with a gastrointestinal ailment, was expected to miss up to two weeks . . . Trevor Denman is off to his Minnesota farm during the Hollywood Park meet, where he has been permanently replaced by Luke Kruytbosch. "I'm voting Tuesday at 7 a.m. and then it's off to the farm," said the world's greatest race caller . . . Despite absorbing more than an inch of rain on Wednesday, forcing cancellation of turf racing, there was grass racing at Santa Anita the very next day, and no one could remember the last time that happened. In the past, such a downpour would have prevented turf racing for three or four days, but the current course, after much malignment in the past, is all a world-class venue should be . . . Kimberley Andrews of Pacific Beach e-mails: "I really enjoy your column, the best, most enjoyable on and off the 'net." Shucks, I'm blushing . . . If Ricks Natural Star had finished any further back in the Breeders' Cup Turf, he wouldn't have been distanced, he'd have been lapped.
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