Hernandez holds narrow lead as he goes for fifth straight Del Mar summer title
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After three weeks of the Del Mar summer meeting, Juan Hernandez leads the jockey standings with 13 wins, holding a two-race advantage over Joel Rosario.
Hernandez is somewhat unsatisfied with the results. From his perspective, the win total should be higher.
“I feel like I can give more of myself,” Hernandez said between races last weekend.
“I’m trying hard every day and every race. I’m trying to ride harder than before.”
Hernandez, 34, has won riding titles at the last four summer meetings at Del Mar. A fifth consecutive title this summer would put him in rare company. The renowed Bill Shoemaker won or tied for first in the standings at six consecutive meetings from 1949 to 1954, and added another title in 1970.
Rafael Bejarano won four consecutive summer titles from 2012 to 2015.
In their careers, Bejarano, Flavien Prat, and Hernandez have all won seven riding titles at Del Mar, but have had the benefit of autumn meetings that began in 2014 to boost their totals. Bejarano has won five riding titles at summer meetings, while Prat has four summer titles. They no longer ride on a daily basis in California.
Through Sunday, the most recent day of racing, Hernandez had a narrow lead over Joel Rosario, who won eight races from 23 mounts from Friday through Sunday last weekend to move into second place. Rosario won with three of his first 56 mounts from the July 17 opening day through July 30.
This week, Hernandez and Rosario will be busy.
Hernandez has 19 mounts, including Hughes in Saturday’s Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds, Warming in Saturday’s Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Stakes for fillies and mares on turf, and Holmby in Sunday’s Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes for 2-year-old fillies.
Rosario has 27 mounts, notably Vincey Girl in the Yellow Ribbon.
If the riding title is close at the end of the season on Sept. 7, Hernandez will rue his luck aboard Timayyyy in a $50,000 claimer for maidens last Saturday. At the start of the 1 1/16-mile turf race, Timayyyy stumbled severely, nearly unseating Hernandez, who lost his irons.
Timayyy was at the back of the field on the backstretch when Hernandez regained his left iron. Hernandez had his foot back in his right iron on the turn and proceeded to finish fourth by 3 1/4 lengths.
“I didn’t have time to get my stirrups back,” Hernandez said. “I ran a good fourth. I think I should have won the race.
“He was trying to break so hard out of the gate that he stumbled. Things happened. The horse came back good. I came back good. I came back safe.”
Timayyyy was claimed by trainer George Papaprodromou on behalf of Richard Shapiro, the former chairman of the California Horse Racing Board.
Whether Hernandez regains the mount on Timayyyy will be determined later. If he does, Hernandez is likely to revisit the eventful race as part of his preparation for a racing day.
“I always watch the replays,” he said. “Sometimes, I think I should have done this or should have done that. You learn from those mistakes.”
In the last four summers, Hernandez has won the title with 39 to 49 winners. Last year, he won 45 races, eight more than Antonio Fresu. This summer, Fresu is third with 10 wins, and very much in contention for the title.
Fresu was second, eight wins behind Hernandez, at the 2023 and 2024 summer meetings. In the summer of 2022, Hernandez won 49 races, far ahead of Umberto Rispoli, who was second with 28 wins.
This year’s standings could be tighter.
“I have to do it first,” Hernandez said. “It’s still really early. I put a lot of work in in the mornings and in the races.”
Hernandez credited his agent, Craig O’Bryan, for his behind-the-scenes work.
“He’s the one that gets me the good mounts,” Hernandez said.
Their respective efforts could lead to a fifth consecutive summer title for Hernandez.
“If we do it again,” Hernandez said, “it will be something special.”
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