Whether his rival was Flavien Prat in 2020 or 2021, or Juan Hernandez the last two years, there has always been at least one rider keeping jockey Umberto Rispoli from winning the riding title at the Del Mar summer meeting. This year, at least through the first two days of the 31-day season, Rispoli is atop the standings. Last Saturday and Sunday, Rispoli led all riders at the top-class meeting with five wins, including victories in stakes aboard Formidable Man in the Oceanside Stakes on Saturday, and Ag Bullet in Sunday’s Osunitas Stakes. Staying at the top of the table will be difficult, Rispoli said on Wednesday morning, acknowledging that riders such as Hernandez have a significant advantage by riding first-class for trainer Bob Baffert’s powerful stable. Prat is now based on the East Coast, riding major stakes at Del Mar on occasion. Rispoli insists he is as focused on winning the major stakes as he is on overall winners. :: DRF's Del Mar Handicapping Packages: Get everything you need to play the races with confidence. “The main target is to win the good races,” he said. “The target is to find nice horses for the Breeders’ Cup. If it will happen, I will fight for the title.” Rispoli, a native of Italy who moved from Hong Kong to California in late 2019, has finished in the first four in the standings at the four summer meetings at Del Mar since 2020. Rispoli was second to Prat by one win in the summer of 2020, and has since finished fourth, second, and third in the last three summers. “When that happened with Flavien, it was my first Del Mar,” he said, reflecting on 2020. “Obviously I wasn’t expecting to fight for the leading title. “Flavien had been here for such a long period of time. I was a fortunate position to be on nice horses, and they ran for me.” Last summer, Rispoli won 25 races compared to Hernandez, who led all riders with 36 wins. They tied for first in turf races, each winning 19 races. Rispoli admits Hernandez has a deeper list of mounts in dirt races. “I don’t really have a barn that rides me on the dirt,” Rispoli said. “Juan has an advantage of riding more horses than dirt.” This Thursday and Friday, Hernandez has another advantage in having a great number of mounts. Rispoli is booked to ride three races on Thursday and four on Friday, while Hernandez has six mounts on Thursday and seven on Friday. Over the weekend, Rispoli has two intriguing runners in major stakes – the Kentucky shipper Closethegame Sugar in Saturday’s Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs, and Johannes in Sunday’s Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf. Closethegame Sugar, trained and co-owned by Adam Rice, will have his Grade 1 debut in the $400,000 Big Crosby, California’s leading annual sprint. The winner receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 2. Rispoli will ride Closethegame Sugar for the first time. A 4-year-old gelding, Closethegame Sugar had a perfect campaign at Churchill Downs in June, winning the $275,000 Aristedes Stakes at six furlongs on June 1, and the $250,000 Kelly’s Landing Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on June 29. In both races, Closethegame Sugar closed from slightly off the pace. In the Bing Crosby, Closethegame Sugar is expected to start against a field that includes The Chosen Vron, who won the 2023 Bing Crosby, and Happy Jack, the easy winner of the Grade 2 Triple Bend Stakes at Santa Anita on June 1. “He has some nice potential,” Rispoli said of Closethegame Sugar. “It will be interesting to see how good he can be. It’s not easy.” Johannes, winner of the Grade 3 American Stakes and Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita earlier this year, will race at 1 1/8 miles on turf for the first time in the $250,000 Eddie Read Stakes. Trained by Tim Yakteen, Johannes won those races from off the pace. “It looks like he can probably handle the mile and an eighth,” Rispoli said. “They’ve been very patient with him. “He won strongly in the American and the Shoemaker. I think they were high quality performances.” Rispoli’s had high expectations for opening weekend, which were largely met with five wins. “You’re always thinking big,” he said. “You want to win as much as you can. Everyone is loaded and waiting for opening day. I knew I had a couple of horses with live chances.” The job through the final day on Sept. 8 is to try and sustain the momentum. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.