Photo by Keeneland Photo
The talented two-year-old Exaggerator, who won the Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes (gr. III) in gritty fashion last month, will make his 2016 debut in the $200,000 San Vicente Stakes (gr. II) on February 15th.
The news was reported in the Santa Anita Stable Notes for December 17th. Trained by Keith Desormeaux, Exaggerator had a busy and productive season this year, winning the Saratoga Special Stakes (gr. II) and running second in the Breeders’ Futurity (gr. I) and fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (gr. I) before ending the year with his Delta Jackpot win.
The seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes doesn’t offer Kentucky Derby qualification points, but nevertheless serves as an important early prep race on the road to the Derby. In 2015, the race marked the three-year-old debut of Desormeaux’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Texas Red, who finished second before going to the sidelines with a hoof bruise.
Texas Red came back to run second in the Dwyer Stakes (gr. II) and win the Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II) before a disappointing effort in the Travers Stakes (gr. I). After being diagnosed with cannon bone bruising, he received several months of rest, but is now back in training at Santa Anita.
“Texas Red is here, but he’s going to need two or three months before he’s ready.” Desormeaux was quoted as saying.
Desormeaux also said that Swipe, who finished second in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, “is going to be off for a couple months” as a result of surgery to remove an ankle chip that was recently reported by the Daily Racing Form.
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