J. Keith Desormeaux

{{Short description|Horse trainer}}

{{Infobox horseracing personality

|name = J. Keith Desormeaux

|image =

|caption =

|occupation = Horse trainer

|birth_place = Maurice, Louisiana,
United States

| birth_date = c. {{birth year and age|1967}}

|death_date =

|career wins = 815 (ongoing) as of October 1, 2024 {{cite web|url=http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=People&searchType=T&eID=15262 |title=J. Keith Desormeaux |publisher=Equibase |date= |accessdate=August 19, 2023 }}

|race = Delta Princess Stakes (2006)
Risen Star Stakes (2013)
Delta Jackpot Stakes (2015)
Goldikova Stakes (2015)
Jim Dandy Stakes (2015)
Landaluce Stakes (2015)
Saratoga Special Stakes (2015)
San Juan Capistrano Stakes (2015)
American Oaks (2016)
Haskell Invitational Stakes (2016)
Santa Anita Derby (2016)
Providencia Stakes (2016)
Speakeasy Stakes (2017)
Lexington Stakes (2018)
Southwest Stakes (2018)
Sweet Life Stakes (2019)

American Classics wins:
Preakness Stakes (2016)

Breeders' Cup wins:
Breeders' Cup Juvenile (2014)

|awards =

|honors =

|horses = Exaggerator, Swipe, Texas Red,
I've Struck a Nerve

}}

J. Keith Desormeaux (born c. 1967) is a horse trainer in American Thoroughbred horse racing. He is the brother of jockey Kent Desormeaux and trainer of 2016 Preakness Stakes winner Exaggerator.

Desormeaux was born in Maurice, Louisiana, part of Louisiana's Cajun region. His brother, Horse Racing Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux Keith was named John Keith in honor of one of his mother's siblings.{{cite web|last1=Cherwa|first1=John|title=Desormeaux brothers' Derby dream, far from rural roots, may be nearing fruition|url=http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-horse-racing-desormeaux-20160213-story.html|website=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=21 May 2016|date=February 12, 2016}} Harris Desormeaux owned Acadiana Downs, a "bush track". As children Keith and Kent showed ponies in 4-H competition, played basketball, and the brothers attempted their first collaboration at a race at Acadiana Downs when Keith was 18 and Kent 15, but did not win.{{cite web|last1=McNamara|first1=Ed|title=Desormeaux always had good horse sense|url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/horseracing/preakness-notebook-keith-desormeaux-always-had-good-horse-sense-1.11825286|website=Newsday|accessdate=21 May 2016|date=May 21, 2016}}

Keith Desormeaux originally wanted to become a veterinarian, but instead completed a degree in animal science at Louisiana Tech University after he decided to become a horse trainer.{{cite web|last1=McGee|first1=Marty|title=For Desormeaux, conflicting views on his struggles|url=http://www.drf.com/news/desormeaux-conflicting-views-his-struggles|website=Daily Racing Form|accessdate=May 21, 2016|date=April 18, 2013}} He began his training career in the 1980s in Maryland, first working with other trainers such as Charlie Hadry, and then opening his own training stable in 1991,{{cite web|last1=Jagow|first1=Scott|title=‘Son Of A Gun’ Desormeaux Reluctantly Enjoys Kentucky Derby Spotlight |url=http://www.paulickreport.com/news/ray-s-paddock/son-gun-desormeaux-reluctantly-enjoys-kentucky-derby-spotlight/|website=Paulick Report|accessdate=May 21, 2016|date=May 5, 2016}} though he had raced horses under his own name as early as 1988. He originally came to Maryland on his summer break from college, exercising racehorses.{{cite web|author1=Press Release|title=Preakness Run A Kind Of Homecoming For Desormeaux Brothers |url=http://www.paulickreport.com/news/triple-crown/preakness-run/|website=Paulick Report|accessdate=21 May 2016|date=19 May 2016}} Kent had been very successful in Maryland and encouraged Keith to come there to work. Keith Desormeaux later moved to Texas and trained at Lone Star Park until 1997, when he moved to California.{{cite web|last1=Curry|first1=Mike|title=Making the Grade: Exaggerator's Belmont Shot|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/211899/making-the-grade-exaggerators-belmont-shot|website=Blood Horse|accessdate=26 May 2016|date=May 25, 2016}}

Desormeaux struggled throughout his career to team up with owners able to purchase the highest-quality horses. His break came when he met Matt Bryan, an oilman who owned Big Chief Racing Stables. Desormeaux finally came to national attention in 2013 in winning the Risen Star Stakes with Bryan's horse I've Struck a Nerve, a 135–1 longshot, the biggest upset in the history of the race. Desormeaux stated at the time, "I can sit here and tell you I'm a good trainer, but I can't make a slow horse fast. When you've got a little bit of money behind the horse power you can see what happens."{{cite web|last1=Duncan|first1=Jeff|title=Long shot gives trainer Keith Desormeaux the biggest win of his career in Risen Star|url=http://www.nola.com/horseracing/index.ssf/2013/02/long_shot_gives_desormeaux_the.html|website=NOLA.com|accessdate=21 May 2016|date=February 23, 2013}} It was his first graded stakes win. On August 21, 2014, Dexormeaux passed the 500 win mark.{{cite web|title=J. Keith Desormeaux|url=https://www.americasbestracing.net/trainers/j-keith-desormeaux|website=Americas Best Racing|accessdate=22 May 2016}} And that same year teamed up with brother Kent to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile with Texas Red. Comparing the work of his jockey brother Kent to his own work as a horse trainer, Desormeaux said, "His job is over and done in two minutes. Mine takes two years."{{cite web|last1=Walker|first1=Childs|title=Desormeaux brothers trying to make Kentucky Derby history|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/horse-racing/bs-sp-kentucky-derby-notes-0506-20160505-story.html|website=Baltimore Sun|accessdate=21 May 2016|date=May 5, 2016}}

In 2015, Desormeaux began sending out horses who challenged Nyquist, the 2015 American Champion Two-Year-Old Male Horse.{{cite news|url=http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/97148/nyquist-named-champion-2-year-old-male|title=Nyquist Named Champion 2-Year-Old Male|first=Myra|last=Lewyn|date=January 16, 2016|accessdate=January 17, 2016|work=The Blood-Horse}} In the 2015 Breeders' Cup Juvenile, he sent out two horses, Swipe and Exaggerator, who finished second and fourth to Nyquist. In 2016, Exaggerator won the Santa Anita Derby{{cite web|title=Exaggerator|url=http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=9465075®istry=T|website=Equibase|accessdate=22 May 2016}} and had also challenged Nyquist again two more times, including in the 2016 Kentucky Derby, where he finished second, each time closing his rival by an ever-narrower margin until finally defeating Nyquist at the 2016 Preakness Stakes.{{cite web|last1=Tynes|first1=Brian|title=Exaggerator upsets undefeated Nyquist in Preakness|url=http://www.wtoc.com/story/32026044/nyquist-to-face-10-challengers-in-preakness-stakes|website=WTOC|accessdate=May 21, 2016|date=May 21, 2016}}

Desormeaux has a son.{{cite web|title=From dustups to Derby: Brothers Desormeaux take a shot |url=https://apnews.com/43ef3460ef064603ae2aa6b2af5d02b5|agency= Associated Press|accessdate=22 May 2016|date=May 3, 2016}} Since 2010, his significant other has been Julie Clark, who worked with polo ponies for 20 years before becoming a racehorse trainer. She both manages Desormeaux's horses when they are away from their home base and assists with his overall training operation.{{cite web|last1=Privman|first1=Jay|title=Team Exaggerator's leading lady|url=http://www.drf.com/news/team-exaggerators-leading-lady|website=Daily Racing Form|accessdate=10 June 2016|date=June 9, 2016}}