Van Dyke fresh, rested, ready to get back to work
In the last two weeks, jockey Drayden Van Dyke has enjoyed a variety of outdoor sports around Del Mar – golf, running on the beach, and swimming and boogie boarding in the Pacific. Just about everything but race riding.
Van Dyke rode on Aug. 9 and then was sidelined until Friday. After withdrawing an appeal of a five-day suspension for a riding infraction at Santa Anita in May, Van Dyke began serving the days on Aug. 14. The problem this year is that five days of suspension covers nearly two weeks of races with Del Mar’s Friday through Sunday schedule.
Van Dyke had one mount on Friday and two on Saturday, all in graded stakes, which are exempt from routine suspensions. The last day of the suspension is Saturday. On Sunday, Van Dyke has a measure of normalcy when he rides five races, including the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile aboard the speedy gelding Bombard.
“I’m ready to get back to work,” Van Dyke said on Friday.
In the year of the coronavirus, the daily routines of jockeys have been disrupted at Southern California Thoroughbred tracks. Riders are not permitted to work horses in the mornings at Del Mar to limit the number people in the stables.
Morning workouts have been a regular fixture of Van Dyke’s day. This summer, there are no early alarms.
“The start of my day is whenever I want, which is nice for a change,” he said. “I’m going on long runs and working out a lot and keeping fit, playing some golf, boogie boarding.”
Van Dyke was one of 15 Del Mar jockeys diagnosed with the coronavirus in mid-July. They resumed riding on July 24 when racing restarted after a 12-day break caused by an outbreak in the jockeys’ room.
Van Dyke, 25, finished second in the jockey standings at the 2019 Del Mar summer meeting and won the title at the 2018 summer meeting. With his recent absence, he has 10 wins at the meeting, far fewer than leader Umberto Rispoli, who had 28 going into Friday’s program.
Van Dyke hopes to spend the final three weeks of the Del Mar meeting building toward a successful late summer and fall. Del Mar runs through Sept. 7.
“I want to end the meet in a safe manner and strong,” he said. “Hopefully we can knock out a Grade 1. That would be a nice way to cap the season.”
Next month, Van Dyke may ride at Kentucky Downs before the Santa Anita autumn meeting begins on Sept. 19.
“We were thinking about Kentucky Downs,” he said. “It’s in our focus.”