Texas Red takes old-school approach in San Vicente

Texas Red will be running late (Wendy Wooley/EquiSport Photos) Call it an old-school approach for Texas Red (Afleet Alex). A 6 1/2-length winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), the well-regarded colt will make his three-year-old debut at seven furlongs when he lines up for Sunday’s $200,000 San Vicente (G2) at Santa Anita. Kentucky Derby contenders with two-year-old form are rarely seen in early-season sprints nowadays — the typical pattern has become two starts at a route. It’s been 18 years since the last stakes-winning juvenile, Silver Charm, returned in a one-turn race before capturing the Kentucky Derby. And that race was the 1997 San Vicente. Texas Red’s connections decided upon the San Vicente as the best option despite the fact that he’s never won at a one-turn distance. Keith Desormeaux trains and his brother, three-time Kentucky Derby winner Kent, rides.

A well-built bay son of 2005 Preakness and Belmont Stakes winner Afleet Alex,
Texas Red dropped his first two starts sprinting before breaking his maiden
going two turns at Del Mar last summer. The Kentucky-bred recorded a
non-threatening third behind American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) when making
his first stakes attempt, the FrontRunner (G1) in late September, and followed
with a 13-1 upset in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, netting a career-best 101 BRIS
Speed rating while closing from last to first.

Texas Red will face seven rivals as the likely overwhelming favorite.

Lord Nelson (Pulpit) finished one spot back of Texas Red when fourth in the
FrontRunner and earned his first stakes win in the six-furlong Speak Easy at
Santa Anita on October 13, posting a 6 3/4-length runaway score. He concluded
2014 with a fifth as the favorite in the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Club (G2)
at Churchill Downs, a race that has already produced next-out stakes winners El
Kabeir and International Star, and the Bob Baffert-trained Lord Nelson figures
to appreciate the cut back in trip. Rafael Bejarano picks up the mount.

Baffert will also be represented by Punctuate (Distorted Humor). The bay colt
colt makes his first appearance since an impressive debut maiden win at Santa
Anita in late September and will be ridden by Martin Garcia. Punctuate is out
the famous New Mexico-bred mare Peppers Pride (Desert God), who earned more than
$1 million and attracted national headlines by winning all 19 career starts from
2005-08.

Serbian Syclone (Wildcat Heir) brings plenty of speed to the mix in his
stakes debut. A 6 1/4-length debut winner two starts back, the Peter Miller
trainee exits a facile wire-to-wire victory over allowance/optional claiming
rivals at six furlongs on December 31. Elvis Trujillo has the call.

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