Juan Hernandez, one of the leading riders in California in recent years, will ride at Royal Ascot in Britain for the first time next week. Hernandez, 34, is booked to ride three mounts for trainer Wesley Ward – Ruiva in Wednesday’s Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, Bacio in Friday’s Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap for 3-year-olds, and Ez Tina in Saturday’s Group 2 Norfolk Stakes for 2-year-olds. “I’m really excited to ride over there,” Hernandez said on Friday morning. “It’s going to be a new place. Everybody that I’ve been talking to says it’s beautiful. They say I’m going to love it.” Hernandez rode Ruiva to a seven-length win in a maiden race at 4 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs on April 29. Hernandez was aboard Bacio for a two-length win in an allowance race at five furlongs on turf at Churchill Downs on April 28. Bacio has won 3 of 4 starts, with Hernandez riding in three of those races. Ez Tina is a new mount for Hernandez. The filly won a maiden race at five furlongs by 4 3/4 lengths at Woodbine in her debut on May 17 with Pietro Moran aboard. :: Play Santa Anita racing with confidence. Get DRF Past Performances, Clocker Reports, and more. This will be Hernandez’s first mounts away from North America. Aside from riding extensively in the United States, Hernandez has ridden in Mexico and Puerto Rico. Hernandez said he will remain in Europe after the five-day Royal Ascot meeting ends on June 20 for a vacation with his wife. He plans to return to California in time to ride the final days at the Los Alamitos meeting, which runs from June 19 to July 5. Through Thursday, Hernandez ranked third in the jockey standings at the Santa Anita spring meeting with 21 wins, seven less than Armando Ayuso and Antonio Fresu who are tied with 28. Hernandez has had 90 mounts at the meeting, less than Ayuso with 153 and Fresu with 157. Hernandez, who won his 3,000th race in the United States last month, has won 12 riding titles at Del Mar or Santa Anita since the summer of 2023, including the last four titles at the prestigious Del Mar summer meeting. Hernandez finished first in the standings at Santa Anita last fall, his most recent riding title. Hernandez is booked to ride seven races at Santa Anita on Friday and five on Saturday, including two stakes. He will travel to Britain on Sunday and will not ride that day or on Monday’s make-up program at Santa Anita. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.