Holmby gives Hernandez weekend Del Mar stakes sweep with Sorrento win
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DEL MAR, Calif. - A game win by Holmby in Sunday’s Grade 3 Sorrento Stakes for 2-year-old fillies gave jockey Juan Hernandez a sweep of the four stakes at Del Mar from Friday through Sunday.
Holmby won the $150,500 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs by a neck as the 4-5 favorite, outshining a good performance from pacesetter Ruiva, who was ridden by Yedsit Hazlewood.
Hernandez knew Holmby and Ruiva well, having ridden the fillies in their previous starts.
Ruiva won a maiden race by seven lengths at Churchill Downs on April 29 and was third in her stakes debut in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot in Britain on June 17 with Hernandez aboard for both races.
Holmby won her debut by 2 1/4 lengths in a maiden race at Del Mar on July 18.
While Holmby was favored in the Sorrento, Ruiva was the 8-5 second choice. The two were the dominant runners in the first stakes of the year for open-company, 2-year-old fillies in California.
Ruiva set an early pace of 21.91 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.02 for a half-mile. Holmby was third on the backstretch, trailing by 1 1/2 lengths, and had moved within a half-length of Ruiva with a quarter-mile remaining.
The two ran together through the stretch, with Holmby gaining an advantage in the final strides.
“It took all the stretch to pass that filly,” Hernandez said.
Ruiva “is a nice filly. I rode that filly a few times. I knew she’d be tough.”
Holmby ($3.60) was timed in 1:10.73.
In her maiden race win, Holmby disputed the early pace. Hernandez was encouraged that Holmby raced from slightly off the pace on Sunday.
“I think she’s going to improve from that race,” Hernandez said. “I was happy with my position on the backstretch.
“I like the way my filly relaxed. She wasn’t rank at all. She was waiting for me.”
Ruiva finished 7 1/2 lengths in front of 11-1 Crazy Hot Mess.
“She tried,” Hazlewood said. “She ran her race.”
Hazlewood, who currently rides at Ellis Park, had his first mount at Del Mar on Sunday.
Dash finished fourth, followed by Blockade and Belleza Latina in a field of six.
Hernandez, the leading rider at the current Del Mar meeting, has won six stakes since the beginning of the season on July 17.
On Friday, Hernandez rode Net Par to a win in the Graduation Stakes for 2-year-old statebred sprinters.
On Saturday, Hernandez swept the two stakes – the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Stakes for fillies and mares on turf with Warming, and the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds aboard Hughes.
Holmby is trained by Bob Baffert, who won a record 10th running of the Sorrento Stakes on Sunday. Baffert won the race for the first time in 1991. Hernandez has four career wins in the Sorrento, all in this decade.
Holmby, by Corniche, races for Michael Talla. She was purchased for $95,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July yearling sale in 2025 and has earned $150,000 from two starts.
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