Van Dyke returning to ride in California
Jockey Drayden Van Dyke is coming home. The personable 26-year-old will return from Kentucky next week to restart his California career at the Del Mar summer meet, which begins next Friday.
The 2014 Eclipse Award winner as the nation’s outstanding apprentice and the leader at the 2018 Del Mar summer and fall meets, Van Dyke spent this spring and early summer on the Kentucky circuit. From late March through early July, Van Dyke won nine races from 100 mounts.
Van Dyke won 8 of 76 at the Churchill Downs spring meet, placing him 17th in the standings, while riding often for trainer Brian Lynch. Despite minimal success compared to his 15 percent career win rate, Van Dyke said temporarily relocating to Kentucky was a good move.
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“Coming out here was a great learning experience and it’s only going to make me better,” Van Dyke said Thursday from Kentucky. “It wasn’t a mistake coming here. It was really good for me. Riding with different riders out here, in a room that is loaded with talent, you learn stuff and you learn how to hustle.”
Van Dyke’s agent in California will be Brandon O’Bryan, who also represents apprentice Jessica Pyfer. Van Dyke was represented in Kentucky by former rider Gary Stevens.
Van Dyke was born in Louisville, but began his career in California, first galloping horses for Tom Proctor before he began riding regularly in late 2013.
“I love Kentucky, but I’ve been in California for so long and gained so many relationships out there,” he said. “I just miss California.”
Van Dyke’s success at Del Mar includes Grade 1 wins on Red Lark in the 2020 Del Mar Oaks and Bast in the 2019 Del Mar Debutante.
“I’ve always done my best during that meet,” he said. “I’ve always knocked out a few stakes.”
His first graded win at Del Mar was on Proctor-trained Family Meeting in the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante in 2015.
After riding this weekend at Ellis Park, Van Dyke will fly to California on Monday and will be at Del Mar for turf workouts Tuesday morning.
“It’s paradise down there,” he said. “I’m so excited.”
Van Dyke entered the weekend having won 732 races from 4,674 mounts, which have earned $46,432,443.
– additional reporting by Marty McGee