Hollendorfer shifts away from Bejarano

There was no press release when one of the most productive jockey-trainer combinations in Southern California quietly dissolved in late 2015.

Rafael Bejarano has ridden only three horses for Jerry Hollendorfer since November. The last winner for the pair was more than two months ago on Oct. 24. The apparent split is notable at Santa Anita, where Bejarano and Hollendorfer have been the most productive jockey-trainer team over the past three winter meets combined, with 58 wins from 157 starters.

They led the jockey-trainer standings with 23 wins at both the 2012-13 and 2013-14 meets. In 2014-15, they ranked second with 12 wins. Over the past five years at all tracks, Bejarano and Hollendorfer are a combined 135 for 525. The only Southern California pairing with more wins is the team of Martin Garcia and Bob Baffert.

Asked about the move away from Bejarano, Hollendorfer was not specific.

“There’s really no explanation for those kinds of things,” he said. “We go through these phases with him, and he’s starting to ride for us again. We know he’s a top rider.”

In fact, Bejarano is slated to ride for Hollendorfer in both Santa Anita stakes Saturday – Point Piper in the Grade 2 San Pasqual and I’malreadythere in the Grade 3 Sham.

Bejarano, the leading rider at the past three winter meets at Santa Anita and at six of the last eight, enters Thursday near his customary spot at the top of the standings. Bejarano is second with nine wins from 36 mounts, while meet leader Santiago Gonzalez is 10 for 41.

The significance of the Bejarano-Hollendorfer parting is marginal. They are not mutually dependent. When Bejarano led the Del Mar jockey standings at the recent fall meet, his 24th title in Southern California, he did it without riding a single winner for Hollendorfer.

Likewise, when Hollendorfer led the Del Mar standings last summer, 18 of his 22 winners were with jockeys other than Bejarano. This winter, Hollendorfer will spread it around.

“We like Bejarano, and we’re going to use him,” Hollendorfer said. “There are young riders around here that are doing real well, so you try this and that, and sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t.”

After longtime agent Joe Ferrer retired last year, Bejarano hired racing official Tora Yamaguchi, who has put Bejarano on winners for a variety of trainers, usually with the same result. Three meets with Yamaguchi produced three more riding titles for Bejarano.

"We have to get used to the way [Yamaguchi] does things," Hollendorfer said. "He has to get used to the way we do things.”

Hollendorfer smiled at the eventuality.

“In the end, Bejarano ends up being leading rider anyway,” he said.