By Mike Kane
By design, trainer Keith Desormeaux's string of five horses at Saratoga Race Course are tucked away at the far end of Barn 23 in an out-of-the-way corner of the backstretch stable area.
Though not easily found, that group of runners managed by assistant trainer Julie Clark, and led by GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red (Afleet Alex), have won a pair of Grade II races and will be moving into two of the Spa's historic Grade I events. Danette (Curlin) who missed third by a head in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks, is entered in Saturday's GI Alabama S. Earlier in the day, Texas Red will have his final work for the GI Travers S. Aug. 29.
A foot issue kept Texas Red out of the Triple Crown, but he returned with a second in the GIII Dwyer S. July 4 at Belmont Park and posted a half-length victory in the GII Jim Dandy S., Saratoga's Travers prep, Aug. 1. The 2-year-old Exaggerator (Curlin) delivered the barn's second Grade II victory Sunday with a nice move up the rail to snag the Saratoga Special.
This is the first group of horses Desormeaux has sent to Saratoga. Clark has been with them throughout the meet and Desormeaux has been shipping in from his summer base at Del Mar. He was making the long commute from Southern California to upstate New York Thursday.
Clark said the Saratoga stable location has been ideal and contributed to the success.
“Keith likes his barn to be quiet, keeping the horses happy and relaxed,” she said. “He doesn't like radios in the barn. He doesn't hire people who yell, hoot and carry on. Our staff is all happy, but they're not noisemakers. We just like as calm a setting as possible. Obviously, there is enough stimulation at the racetrack for them anyways. He wants the barn to be their happy spot.”
Clark, who grew up near Toronto and has a background in polo, said Barn 23, the longtime Saratoga home of the late Hall of Fame trainer Tommy Kelly, had the isolated feel Desormeaux prefers.
“That was the main factor of picking this barn,” she said. “We looked at a few and I just liked it. It was secluded and there was a lot of buffer between the track noise and here. The horses love it. Even if they come back from a work on their toes, one lap of the barn and they're back to sleep. It serves its purpose for sure.”
The Saratoga venture is all about Texas Red and gave Desormeaux a reason to send a group across the country.
“I think he's always felt like his training style, sit off the pace and close, suits the racing style here,” she said. “With this horse, when we realized it was going to be a push to get him back on the Triple Crown series, he just backed off and always pointed at Saratoga. He thought that this series of races would be just perfect leading up to Breeders' Cup. Then we just kind of built the string around him. We had a lot of 2-year-old fillies and colts that Keith didn't want to have to run against each other back on the West Coast, so we thought we would bring some of them here.”
Exaggerator is part of that juvenile group. He flew from California to Kentucky, vanned to Saratoga and galloped twice over the track before the Saratoga Special.
For Clark, the Saratoga experience goes far beyond two stakes wins and five stalls in an area away from the din of morning training and afternoon racing.
“Everyone seems very supportive,” she said. “When you take Texas to the track every morning, everyone shouts his name and calls to him. It just seems like it's real horse people here and they really appreciate the work that goes into getting them to this stage. We really appreciate that.”
Clark continued, “Even the walk up here the first time is emotional, seeing how many people turn out and cheer for you. It's not the same. None of the tracks I've been to has that same feel.”
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