Desormeaux Debut Lacks Tinsel : Jockey: Holder of record for victories in a year comes west to Hollywood Park for a day, but doesn’t add to his total of 564.

Kent Desormeaux was greeted rather rudely in his California debut at Hollywood Park Sunday.

While track announcer Don Alexander was detailing the teen-ager’s record-setting year and asking the fans to welcome him, Clapper, his mount in the first race, spooked, dumped him and embarked on a brief jaunt down the stretch.

Once collared, the 6-year-old gelding, perhaps nervous about his first start in nearly 26 months, was reluctant to let Desormeaux climb back aboard, then finally relented.

Not surprisingly, Clapper wasn’t able to increase the jockey’s victory total, which stands at 564 this year after he collected six at Laurel Saturday, and neither could Silent ‘N Nasty and Baffo, his other two mounts on the card. Silent ‘N Nasty finished second in the sixth, beaten by 57-1 shot Financial Wizard.

Although his stay was only for the day, Desormeaux, who eclipsed Chris McCarron’s record of 546 victories Nov. 30, could make this circuit his permanent base.

Recent reports from the East had the 19-year-old leaning toward making New York his new home, but he indicated Sunday morning that he might be headed this way. If he does, he will arrive in late January or early February.

“This is a big day for us,” he said. “One of the reasons we’re here is to see what it’s like. The weather would be a major factor, definitely, but we have to have the feeling from trainers they’re going to accept us and use us.

“My agent (Gene Short) is going to go out and meet people and see if they want to use us. There are numerous reasons why I’d lean to here, but we have to make the best business decision about where we can do better. If we get a good feeling from the trainers, we’ll come back.”

Short said: “One of the main aspects of being an agent is being a good judge of character. By talking to (trainers) and meeting them and seeing the expression on their faces, I’ll be able to tell if they’re interested.

“On the telephone, several top trainers seemed very responsive and they said to make sure to stop by and see them on Sunday. It felt really good over the phone.

“I feel Kent can compete on either coast if the people allow me to accept calls on the better horses. If I get a good feeling--and I think we will--we’ll come here because of the weather.”

After attending an awards function today and Tuesday in Las Vegas, Desormeaux will return to Maryland, then come back to California to ride Ten Keys in the $250,000 Bay Meadows Handicap Saturday.

Now that he’s overtaken McCarron, the Louisiana native’s next target is 600. He intends to work some overtime in an attempt to reach the figure before New Year’s Day.

“I think 600 looks good,” he said, adding that he will do double duty some nights at the Meadowlands after riding at Laurel during the day. “If we get it, it’s great, if not, it’s just as well.

“The day after the record was set, it was like 20 pounds of stone off my shoulders. It was fun to ride again, the pressure was off. I felt like I’ve worked hard to accomplish something, but that it really hasn’t sunk in yet.”