Hernandez off to fast start in move to Southern California circuit

There is nothing like a stakes win to boost the profile of a new rider.

Juan Hernandez won the $101,500 Soi Phet Stakes on Galilean last Saturday at Los Alamitos in his first full week of riding in Southern California in recent years. Through Sunday, Hernandez had four wins at Los Alamitos, holding a one-race lead in the jockey standings. The brief season ends Sunday.

“This is a really good start for me,” Hernandez said last weekend. “People are helping me.”

Regardless of whether Hernandez finishes the meeting as the leading rider, the 28-year-old native of Mexico is off to a fine start following his relocation from Golden Gate Fields. Hernandez was the dominant rider at the winter-spring Golden Gate Fields meeting that ended June 14, winning 135 races. Catalino Martinez was second with 58 victories. On six days, Hernandez won four races on a card.

With such a prominent role at Golden Gate Fields, Hernandez is no stranger to owners and trainers in Southern California. Chances are if they sent a horse to Golden Gate Fields in the last few years, Hernandez was a candidate for the mount.

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That success led to the decision to try Southern California, partially at the behest of prominent Northern California trainer Blaine Wright, who will have an eight-horse stable at Del Mar. They reached out to Southern California agent Craig O’Bryan, who is representing Hernandez.

The main goal for Hernandez this summer is the prestigious Del Mar meeting that begins July 10. Hernandez will compete against the full rank of riders on the circuit, some of whom are taking a low-key approach to the Los Alamitos meeting or riding stakes on other circuits.

Hernandez has ridden at Del Mar in the past. In 2012, he tied for 10th in the standings with 10 wins from 128 mounts. Hernandez rode on the Northern California fair circuit the following year. This summer will be the first time Hernandez has ridden at Del Mar since 2015, when he won three stakes for statebred 2-year-olds on Native Treasure and Smokey Image.

Hernandez could have a strong start at Del Mar.

On July 10, Hernandez is booked to ride Kanderel in the $100,000 Runhappy Oceanside Stakes for trainer Richard Mandella. Hernandez rode Kanderel to a win in the $75,000 Alcatraz Stakes on June 13 at Golden Gate Fields.

On July 11, Hernandez will ride Kiwi’s Dream in the $65,000 Wickerr Stakes on turf. Hernandez rode Kiwi’s Dream to a second-place finish by a head in the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on June 14 at Golden Gate Fields.

Hernandez knows he will need a quick start at Del Mar to have any chance to play an important role at the prestigious meeting, a significant change from last summer when he rode at the fair meetings at Pleasanton, Sacramento, and Santa Rosa before Golden Gate resumed racing in late August.

Hernandez will compete with riders such as Flavien Prat, Abel Cedillo, Umberto Rispoli, Drayden Van Dyke, and Mike Smith for leading mounts at Del Mar.

“It’s going to be tough,” Hernandez said.

The recent past provides inspiration. Last summer, Cedillo, the top rider at the 2018-19 Golden Gate Fields meeting, rode at Del Mar for the first time and finished third in the standings. Cedillo finished second in the standings at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting that concluded June 21.

Hernandez noticed Cedillo’s success.

“I thought, Why not?” he said. “Trainers said they would help me. Maybe I’ll give it a try.”