Gonzalez nabs four wins on Sunday card

DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Santiago Gonzalez might not be well known in Southern California just yet, but he’s starting to make a name for himself here, much as he did in his native Venezuela, where he won more than 2,000 races before deciding to remain in the United States after a couple of shorter visits.

Gonzalez tied for leading rider at Los Alamitos during its brief meeting earlier this month, and he had his best single day in the United States yet on Sunday, when he won four races at Del Mar, including the featured San Clemente Handicap on the filly Prize Exhibit. That left him tied for second in the standings after the first week, one win behind Flavien Prat.

Two of the four wins on Sunday came in concert with trainer Jim Cassidy, who has been Gonzalez’s biggest booster over the past six months. Both of Cassidy’s winners are owned by Deron Pearson’s DP Racing.

“I’ve got very high gratitude for James Cassidy and Deron Pearson for their support,” Gonzalez, through an interpreter, said after the races on Sunday. “I had some very good days in Venezuela. I’m very excited, very happy to do that. It’s a good feeling to come here and do this. I always wanted to ride in California.”

Gonzalez, 32, speaks very little English. His agent is former trainer Craig Stephen.

According to the Venezuelan sports paper Lider en Deportes, as well as information gleaned from the website of Venezuelan racing journalist Ramon Brito, Gonzalez won more than 2,000 races in his native country in a career that began in 1999. He won multiple Group 1 races there.

In the United States, Gonzalez has won 127 races, 45 this year. His mounts have earned more than $2 million this year.

Other well-known current and former riders who are natives of Venezuela include Junior Alvarado, Javier Castellano, Eibar Coa, and Ramon Dominguez.

Prize Exhibit to Del Mar Oaks

Cassidy said Prize Exhibit would make her next start on Aug. 15 in the Grade 1, $300,000 Del Mar Oaks, the championship race of the meet for 3-year-old fillies.

Prize Exhibit has won 5 of 15 starts, and is 3 for 6 for Cassidy. She was acquired by Pearson last fall just prior to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, in which she ran fourth after a wide, troubled trip. She then was transferred to Cassidy from British trainer Jamie Osborne, which had been the plan all along.