Santa Anita
Bejarano riding big race in Saudi Arabia
Benoit & Associates Top Southern California rider Rafael Bejarano is shown aboard Forever Darling.
ARCADIA, Calif. – Jockey Rafael Bejarano will miss three days of racing at Santa Anita this week to ride in Saudi Arabia on Friday and Saturday.
Bejarano is second in the Santa Anita rider standings behind Santiago Gonzalez. Through Monday, Gonzalez had 19 wins, three more than Bejarano. Bejarano has won the riding title at the last three Santa Anita winter-spring meetings.
This weekend, Bejarano is booked to ride in the King’s Cup, the biggest race of the year in Saudi Arabia, according to his agent, Tora Yamaguchi.
Bejarano will return to Southern California on Sunday but will not arrive in time to ride that afternoon at Santa Anita.