Hernandez walks the dog aboard Neige Blanche to win Red Carpet Handicap

DEL MAR, Calif. – Juan Hernandez is having by far the best year of his riding career. Trainer Leonard Powell is having his best year, too. They joined forces on Thanksgiving Day at Del Mar and kept their good fortune rolling, teaming with Neige Blanche, who scored an 11-1 upset over heavily favored Luck in the Grade 3, $100,000 Red Carpet Handicap for fillies and mares.

The Red Carpet, at 1 3/8 miles, kicked off the week-long turf festival, which continues Friday through closing-day Sunday and includes the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby on Saturday and Grade 1 Matriarch on Sunday.

Neige Blanche ($24.80) broke so well that Hernandez decided not to forfeit what had been handed to him. He nursed her through soft fractions of 25 seconds for the quarter, 50.60 seconds for the half, and a glacial 1:16.35 for six furlongs. Neige Blanche bravely staved off Luck, the 3-10 favorite, through the lane to prevail by a head.

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Luck, who made a menacing three-wide move on the far turn, finished a half-length in front of Nicest, with England’s Rose and Single Soul completing the field of five.

Neige Blanche covered 11 furlongs on firm turf in 2:15.45.

“I thought I’d be second,” Hernandez said. “I thought someone would want the lead. But when she broke in front she relaxed. She was moving her ears, waiting for company.”

Powell said Hernandez “did a good job, not rushing her.”

“She was comfortable, nice and relaxed,” Powell said. “It was a very game effort.”

Hernandez has become firmly entrenched among the leaders of the Southern California riding colony, ranking second this meet to perennial leader Flavien Prat. His mounts have earned just shy of $10 million this year, easily surpassing his previous career best, the nearly $6.4 million earned by his mounts during the pandemic-impacted 2020 campaign.

“I’m grateful for all the opportunities,” said Hernandez, who is represented by longtime agent Craig O’Bryan.

Similarly, Powell has had a terrific year for a barn of his size, with nearly 30 wins and purse earnings of $1.35 million, the first time he’s surpassed $1 million.

Neige Blanche has won three stakes this year, all with Hernandez aboard. She won the Grade 3 Santa Barbara at Santa Anita in May, then this past summer here at Del Mar won the CTT and TOC Stakes, like the Red Carpet a 1 3/8-mile grass race.

Neige Blanche, 4, a daughter of the Anabaa stallion Anodin, like Powell is French-bred. She has now won six times in 15 starts. She is owned by Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables, former trainer Laura de Seroux, Marsha Naify, and Powell’s wife, Mathilde.