Apprentice Herrera riding day and night
CYPRESS, Calif. – For most jockeys, the final race of an afternoon program at Los Alamitos marks the end of the day.
For 17-year-old apprentice Diego Herrera, the last race of the afternoon represents halftime.
In recent months, particularly at the two-week Los Alamitos December Thoroughbred meeting that ends Sunday, Herrera has ridden races during afternoon and evening programs.
At times through the year, the schedule can result in a scramble to drive 30 miles from Santa Anita, or 80 miles from Del Mar, to Los Alamitos. But during the weeks that Los Alamitos conducts races during the afternoon, the time between programs offers Herrera a chance to rest.
It is often a deserved break. Herrera rode 27 races in a two-day span on Sept. 25-26 when racing was held during the afternoons and evenings at Los Alamitos.
“I felt a little tired,” Herrera said.
A month later, Herrera rode 24 races at Santa Anita in the afternoon and at Los Alamitos in the evenings from Oct. 29-31.
The hectic schedule has worked for Herrera, who will ride with apprentice conditions until late April. Sunday at Los Alamitos, Herrera has nine mounts on the 11-race afternoon program, including Moose Mitchell in the $100,000 King Glorious Stakes for statebred 2-year-olds. Sunday evening, he has six mounts on Quarter Horses or Thoroughbreds.
A California native, Herrera has a background in Quarter Horse racing and rode in unsanctioned races in California and Utah in recent years before launching his official career on Quarter Horses at Los Alamitos in February. Herrera had his first mount at Santa Anita in May, and has juggled obligations during afternoons and evenings for more than six months.
“I didn’t imagine myself riding in the daytime against all these amazing riders,” Herrera said between races earlier this month. “I’ve accomplished more than I thought to reach my goals.”
Through Thursday, Herrera has won 75 races from 617 mounts, including 41 on Thoroughbreds – 18 on lower-level stock racing at the Los Alamitos evening meeting, 14 at the higher-profile daytime meetings at Los Alamitos, six at Del Mar, and three at Santa Anita.
The other 34 wins have come on mixed-breed or Quarter Horse races at Los Alamitos in the evenings.
Only the 41 Thoroughbred wins count on his apprentice status. Herrera’s claim was reduced from seven pounds to five on Dec. 4 with his 40th Thoroughbred win.
Herrera was riding Quarter Horses exclusively earlier this year when Los Alamitos-based Thoroughbred trainer Angela Aquino asked him to work Thoroughbreds.
“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to try it,” Herrera said. “They told me I could make a lot of money. Angela Aquino was giving me horses to work in the morning, and I fell in love with it.
“It’s different than Quarter Horses when you’re going one speed. With Thoroughbreds, you have two or three speeds.”
The Santa Anita winter-spring meeting could give Herrera’s career a boost, if he can gain mounts at a time when all the circuit’s riders are active. Several leading riders were not as busy at Los Alamitos this month.
“If I really discipline myself and have a good meet, I can be in the top five,” he said of the Santa Anita meet. “I’m confident in myself.
“I feel like I’ve been improving a lot, riding a bunch of horses every day.”
After Sunday afternoon’s program, there is a two-week break in afternoon Thoroughbred racing until opening day on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita. Herrera will ride at Turf Paradise on Dec. 17, and will be back at Los Alamitos for races on Dec. 18-19. Herrera is tentatively scheduled to ride O Donovan Rossa in the $150,600 Southern California Derby at 400 yards on Dec. 19.
For a rider with a Quarter Horse background, the tactics of a Thoroughbred race intrigue Herrera. Thursday, Herrera rode Rinse and Repeat to a win in a $6,250 claiming race at 5 1/2 furlongs, closing from fourth in a field of six.
“I feel like my strength is coming off the pace,” he said. “I’m pretty good at seeing how fast they’re going and how much horse I have to make a big run at the end.”
The Los Alamitos evening meetings are held on Saturdays and Sundays. Herrera said he plans to ride doubleheaders at least into the spring when his apprentice conditions expire.
“I want to try to get as much experience right now when I have the bug,” he said. “When I’m a journeyman it will benefit me.”