Bejarano enjoying afterglow of 4,000-win milestone

ARCADIA, Calif. – Rafael Bejarano was the deserving recipient of ample praise in the Santa Anita stables on Sunday, a day after the 36-year-old veteran won the 4,000th race of his career in North America.

Bejarano had a three-win day on Saturday, and the middle victory of the sequence – aboard Portal Creek in the third race – was the milestone victory. He later won his 4,001st race on the promising 5-year-old gelding Desert Law in the $100,351 Thor’s Echo Stakes for statebred sprinters.

“Many people were congratulating me this morning,” Bejarano said between races on Sunday. “I feel good.

“Not too many people can win 4,000 races. It’s tough.”

Bejarano’s triple on Saturday was his first three-win day since April 19. Through Sunday, Bejarano and Joe Talamo were tied for second in the standings with 22 wins, seven behind leader Flavien Prat.

Bejarano has won 30 riding titles at Southern California tracks. His first was the winter-spring meeting at Santa Anita in 2007-08, while the most recent was the Santa Anita autumn meeting in 2016. Bejarano’s had his best season in 2004 when he won 455 races, riding primarily in Kentucky. Last year, Bejarano won 80 races, but is on pace to surpass that this year with 50 wins through Sunday.

Prat is a formidable rival for riding titles in California these days, but Bejarano has not abandoned the hope of adding to his total.

“My business is going down a little bit, but hopefully it will get better,” he said.