34 Facts About Kent Desormeaux

Kent Desormeaux has won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes three times each, and the Belmont Stakes once.

Kent Desormeaux's brother, J Keith Desormeaux, older by three years, is a race horse trainer.

Kent Desormeaux was a member of the local 4-H club, and was first exposed to race-riding at age 12.

Kent Desormeaux was sixteen years old when he began working as an apprentice jockey at the Evangeline Downs racetrack in Lafayette, Louisiana.

Kent Desormeaux's success led him to move north to compete on the Maryland racing circuit, where his winning record earned him the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey in 1987.

Kent Desormeaux is one of only four jockeys to have won three national titles in a row.

Kent Desormeaux got his first mount in the Kentucky Derby in 1988, finishing 16th.

In 1989 Kent Desormeaux won his third jockey title, and set an American record for most wins in a year with 598; the previous record had been 546.

That year, Kent Desormeaux competed in 2,312 races, earning $9.1 million.

Kent Desormeaux became the third jockey to win the Eclipse Award in both the apprentice and overall categories, Chris McCarron and Steve Cauthen being the others.

In 1992, Kent Desormeaux became the regular rider of Best Pal, who put together a string of four graded stakes wins, including the Santa Anita Handicap.

On December 11,1992, at Hollywood Park, Kent Desormeaux was thrown when the horse he was riding, Judge Hammer, shied during the stretch drive.

Kent Desormeaux was then kicked in the head by a trailing horse, resulting in multiple skull fractures and a permanent hearing deficit.

Kent Desormeaux fell just short with earnings of $14.1 million, but still won the national earnings title.

Kent Desormeaux received his second Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey.

That year, Desormeaux rode Real Quiet to victory in the 1998 Kentucky Derby.

Kent Desormeaux followed this with a victory in the Preakness Stakes.

However, Kent Desormeaux lost his bid to win the Triple Crown when Victory Gallop beat Real Quiet by a nose in the final stride in the Belmont Stakes.

In 2000, Desormeaux won his second Kentucky Derby aboard Fusaichi Pegasus.

In 2002, Kent Desormeaux had a good year, ranked tenth by total earnings, capped by his second win in the Santa Anita Handicap on Milwaukee Brew.

Kent Desormeaux changed his agent, then shuttled between Japan and America in 2005 for several months.

In 2008, Desormeaux won his third Kentucky Derby aboard Big Brown who won easily by just under five lengths.

Two weeks later, Kent Desormeaux rode Big Brown to victory in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, this time winning by just over five lengths while in hand.

Kent Desormeaux finally settled, but had no response when Desormeaux asked him to run.

Kent Desormeaux eased Big Brown after the colt tired at the quarter pole.

Kent Desormeaux received a good deal of criticism for his ride, though some praised him for protecting the colt from potential injury.

Kent Desormeaux scored his 5,000th career victory on July 27,2008 by guiding Bella Attrice to victory in the 7th race at Saratoga Race Course.

In 2009, Kent Desormeaux won the Belmont Stakes for the first time when he rode Summer Bird to victory, followed by wins in the Travers Stakes and Jockey Club Gold Cup.

In 2010, Kent Desormeaux teamed up with the filly Unrivaled Belle to score an upset win over Rachel Alexandra in the La Troienne Stakes.

Kent Desormeaux's opportunities continued to dry up, causing his rank by North American earnings to drop from 15th in 2010 to 99th in 2013.

The Kent Desormeaux brothers finished second at the Derby, but would celebrate victory together on May 21 when Exaggerator won the 2016 Preakness Stakes.

Kent Desormeaux reached a milestone only 18 others in North America have met on Jan 27,2019 at Santa Anita Park, when he rode X S Gold to victory to secure his 6,000th win.

In 2004, Kent Desormeaux was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

Kent Desormeaux has earned three Eclipse Awards, as outstanding apprentice jockey in 1987, and then as outstanding jockey in 1989 and 1992.