Hernandez secures another riding title with five-win day

The race for leading rider at the Del Mar autumn meeting was close as late as Sunday morning, hours before the final day of the season. Then, it wasn’t.

Juan Hernandez won five races from eight mounts on Sunday’s nine-race program to finish the season with 21 wins, five more than Umberto Rispoli.

Through Saturday, Hernandez had led Rispoli, 16 wins to 14.

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On Sunday, Hernandez won the early double with Style Cat and Chasing Kat, the fourth race with Daddy Justify, and the late double with Fort Bragg and Charlie’s to Blame.

Sunday’s program was the first time Hernandez had won five races in a day at Del Mar. The track record of seven wins in a day was set by Drayden Van Dyke on Aug. 19, 2018.

Hernandez won five races at Golden Gate Fields on March 4, 2018, and five races at Santa Anita on May 28, 2022.

For Hernandez, 32, the title was his fourth consecutive at Del Mar. He won titles at the summer meetings in 2023 and 2024 and the 2023 autumn meeting. Hernandez has been equally as dominant at Santa Anita in recent years.

Santa Anita begins its winter-spring meeting on Dec. 26. Los Alamitos begins a two-week December meeting on Friday. Hernandez is expected to ride there sparingly.

Mark Glatt won his first training title at Del Mar this fall, with 14 wins from 32 starters. Phil D’Amato was second with 9 wins. Glatt, 51, was the leading trainer at the 2023 Santa Anita autumn meeting.

Among owners, George Strawbridge Jr.’s Augustin Stable had five wins, including three graded stakes on turf in late November.

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