Vazquez finds himself with top Santa Anita Derby, Oaks contenders

On the one-year anniversary of relocating to California, jockey Ramon Vazquez finds himself in an enviable position Saturday – riding favorite Practical Move in the Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby and Grade 1-winning filly And Tell Me Nolies in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks.

Vazquez, 37, moved from Oaklawn Park to Santa Anita and began riding regularly in California on April 8, 2022. Top local jockeys Flavien Prat and Umberto Rispoli had announced plans to relocate; the timing was right for a West Coast move by Vazquez, whose agent is Bill Castle.

“I was just looking for good opportunities,” Vazquez said. He impressed local horsemen, and top mounts soon arrived. “I didn’t know if I would be riding that kind of horse, but that’s what I was looking for, always.”

The Del Mar Debutante win by And Tell Me Nolies was his first Grade 1; the first time Vazquez rode Practical Move he won the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity in December.

The colt’s recent comeback in the Grade 2 San Felipe was impressive. He took dirt inside, cut the corner into the lane, and kicked away by 2 1/2 lengths to emerge as the top 3-year-old in California.

“That race, he showed me, ‘I’m a good horse,’ ” Vazquez said.

Likewise, Vazquez is a top rider in California. He led the standings all three Los Alamitos meets in 2022, ranked third at Del Mar in summer and fall, and currently is fourth at Santa Anita. Vazquez has ridden in one Kentucky Derby, in 2015. He finished 13th on longshot Mr. Z. Vazquez said he is not looking beyond this Saturday with Practical Move.

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“I just go race by race,” Vazquez said. “If he runs his best race in the Santa Anita Derby, and comes back to the barn perfect, then we’ll think Kentucky Derby.”

Kimura gets on Mandarin Hero

Japanese colt Mandarin Hero arrived at Santa Anita on March 31, galloped over the track the next two days, and on April 3 worked an easy half-mile in 53.60 seconds under Kazushi Kimura. It was the first time Kimura had been on the colt, who was scheduled to pop from the gate Thursday under Kimura.

“My trainer wanted 55, nice and easy,” Kimura said after the Monday workout. The jockey said he purposely tried “not to go too fast, he was by himself, and looking around. That’s why I tapped him a little bit” to get Mandarin Hero to concentrate.

Mandarin Hero is the first Japanese horse from the National Association of Racing (NAR) circuit to race in the United States. The NAR circuit is a notch under the Japan Racing Association (JRA) circuit. Japanese mare Marche Lorraine, winner of the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar, ran on the NAR circuit via an “exchange program,” but was primarily a JRA racehorse.

Mandarin Hero won his first four starts; he finished second in his most recent start. His trainer, Terunobu Fujita, and owner Hiroaki Arai are scheduled to arrive at Santa Anita late Thursday.

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