Jockey Hernandez has busy upcoming schedule with trip to Kentucky

Beginning Friday, Juan Hernandez, the leading rider at Santa Anita, will have one day off through May 4. The hectic schedule is by design.

Hernandez is riding at Santa Anita from Friday through Sunday and then flying to Kentucky on Monday to ride at Churchill Downs from Tuesday through May 3. He will be back at Santa Anita to ride on May 4.

Next week marks the second time in a month Hernandez has ridden in Kentucky. He won with two of nine mounts from April 9-13 at Keeneland during a week in which Santa Anita did not race.

One of the wins was 45-1 Summer in Adriane on April 9 for trainer Mike Maker, who has booked Hernandez on seven horses from Tuesday through Thursday at Churchill Downs. Hernandez is also set to ride Fort Bragg for trainer Bob Baffert in Thursday’s $200,000 St. Matthews Stakes, and the Baffert-trained Tenma in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 2.

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Craig O’Bryan, Hernandez’s agent, said on Friday that he projects Hernandez will have four mounts at Churchill Downs on both May 2nd and 3rd. Entries for those races will be taken this Saturday.

Hernandez insisted on Friday that his decision to ride at Churchill Downs next week is temporary and based on good opportunities to participate in a high-profile week with excellent prize money when Santa Anita is largely not racing.

After Sunday’s program, Santa Anita does not resume racing until May 2.

Hernandez is not planning a full-time move to Kentucky at this time.

“No, not right now,” he said. “I’m doing great here. I’m going there for the weekend. Maybe later, but not right now.”

Hernandez said Maker’s support was pivotal to the trip to Kentucky.

“I’ve been really lucky with some of the guys there,” Hernandez said. “Mike Maker wanted me to ride all week during Kentucky Derby week.

“We don’t have races. I think it’s a great opportunity. We’re on some live horses. I think that’s great.”

Hernandez, 33, is doing great at Santa Anita. At the track’s winter-spring meeting that ended on April 6, Hernandez led all riders with 53 wins, 10 more than Flavien Prat.

Hernandez has won eight riding titles at Santa Anita, including the seven most recent meetings beginning with the 2022-2023 winter-spring season. In addition, Hernandez has won all four riding titles at Del Mar in the last two years. He started the current spring meeting on April 18 by winning six races from 16 mounts in a three-day span through last Sunday.

Hernandez has been the dominant rider since Prat quit riding in California on a year-round basis in 2022 and began riding in Kentucky for part of the spring and New York in the spring, summer and early fall.

This weekend, Hernandez is in high demand at Santa Anita, with six mounts on Friday and Sunday and seven on Saturday. He rides Hamwood Flier in Saturday’s Grade 3 Royal Heroine Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf, and Amorita in Sunday’s Grade 3 Senorita Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs for 3-year-old fillies on the hillside turf course.

There is one race Hernandez will miss next week. He is not booked to ride the Kentucky Derby. Earlier this month, Hernandez was aboard Barnes who finished last of five in the Santa Anita Derby, ending any chance for a start in the Kentucky Derby.

Hernandez has yet to ride in the Kentucky Derby in his career, which began in 2009.

“I didn’t get anything for the Derby,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll get something for next year.”

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