Espinoza remains on a roll with latest big win in Clement Hirsch

Jockey Victor Espinoza won the Clement Hirsch on Stellar Wind, narrowly defeating Gary Stevens and Beholder. It was a near carbon-copy of the San Diego Handicap the previous Saturday, when Espinoza, on California Chrome, got the best of Dortmund and Stevens after a similar, stretch-long duel. The victories were important ones for Espinoza, who spent much of the first half of the year traveling, but is staying close to home this summer.

“We’re getting consistency to our business. It’s hard when you’re on the road,” said his agent, Brian Beach.

Not that the first half was a washout. Espinoza won the richest race in the world, the $10 million Dubai World Cup, on California Chrome back in March. But he spent much of the next two months chasing major prizes around the country – a result of his Triple Crown race-winning haul the prior two years with California Chrome and American Pharoah – and it took a while for him to establish solid footing on his home turf.

Espinoza usually has done well at Del Mar. Espinoza has won the riding title here three times, and owns the track’s one-day record for victories by a jockey, with seven wins on Sept. 4, 2006. “I was ready for Del Mar,” he said.

He said the wins with California Chrome and Stellar Wind were “fun.”

“It’s always fun when you’re winning, and it’s really fun when you’re winning on the very best horses,” Espinoza said. “It was a real challenge down the stretch in both those races. The whole way, from the three-eighths to the wire, I could feel the other horses trying to come back, but I could feel they didn’t have enough.”

Espinoza’s stakes mounts for the upcoming weekend, Lucky Bryan in the La Jolla Handicap on Saturday and Elektrum in the Osunitas on Sunday, are both with Sadler, the trainer of Stellar Wind.

But his biggest mount in coming weeks will be on California Chrome in the Pacific Classic.

“I was really proud of how he ran the other day, coming back from Dubai, having had all the time off. There’s a reason he’s the richest horse ever,” Espinoza said.