Nyquist went into the Preakness, a race won by Exaggerator, unbeaten in eight starts.
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Former US champion jockey Kent Desormeaux is undergoing an unusual preparation for riding the favourite Exaggerator in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes: he has checked into rehab in an effort to deal with long-term alcohol issues.
Nyquist, the Kentucky Derby victor who finished third in the Preakness on May 21, is beginning to recover from a fever and high white blood count that caused him to pull out of the June 11 Belmont Stakes.
Hall of Fame jockey and three-time Kentucky Derby victor Kent Desormeaux issued a brief statement Saturday through his agent, J.R. Pegram, stating that Desormeaux will return to riding in NY on June 9 following a brief stay in an alcohol rehabilitation program at Cirque Lodge in Sundance, Utah.
The 46-year-old Hall of Fame rider won the Preakness aboard Exaggerator on May 21 after they finished second in the Kentucky Derby on May 7. Pegram said Desormeaux last rode on May 28 at Santa Anita.
Speaking to the Daily Racing Form, Pegram explained that Desormeaux had been in rehab since last Tuesday, and would fly to NY on Monday in readiness for the Belmont. He has struggled with alcohol issues in the past that have cost him mounts on good horses. In 2015, he was fined $2,500 for appearing drunk at a racing program in Del Mar. He also has failed breathalyzer tests at several other tracks.
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Keith Desormeaux, Exaggerator’s trainer, is said to be “much more concerned and interested in Kent’s well-being” than his brother’s presence in NY to ride the horse, according to family friend Michael Klein.
