Veterans Hernandez, Rosario square off for Del Mar jockey title

DEL MAR, Calif. – Jockey Juan Hernandez had such an odd journey to catch a plane in England last Friday that the following message would not have seemed out of place at the departure gate.

“Now boarding, first class. . . . Now boarding, rows 20 to 30. . . . Now boarding jockeys who won Group 1 races at York two hours ago.”

Thanks to a helicopter ride, Hernandez made the 175-mile trek from York Racecourse in northern England to Heathrow airport near London in time to board a plane to Los Angeles. Hernandez arrived with 10 minutes to spare, he said Sunday.

The timing was so tight that he changed clothes on the helicopter, minutes after winning the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes on Bacio for Kentucky-based trainer Wesley Ward. British television showed Hernandez, wearing the black silks of the My Racehorse partnership, scurrying across a field at York to meet the helicopter.

Hernandez resumed riding at Del Mar on Saturday. He has no further plans to travel before the end of the season on Sept. 7. The objective is to regain the position of leading jockey, a role he lost to Joel Rosario during the successful trip to York.

“I’m going to try to get the lead back,” Hernandez said Sunday morning. “I have to keep working hard and keep riding well.”

Through Sunday, Rosario led the standings with 32 wins, seven more than Hernandez. When Hernandez left for England, he had a one-race lead, 25-24.

Hernandez, 34, has won the last four riding titles at summer meetings at Del Mar, equaling Rafael Bejarano, who was leading rider from 2012-15. The legendary Hall of Famer Bill Shoemaker holds the track’s all-time mark of six consecutive riding titles 1949-54. Shoemaker shared the 1950 title with John Longden.

Beginning Thursday, there are nine racing days left at Del Mar this summer.

“I’ll keep hustling,” Hernandez said. “Hopefully, I can have a couple of winners each day.”

Rosario, 41, has his own history of success at Del Mar. He won riding titles at three consecutive summer meetings from 2009-11.

This summer is the first year Rosario has ridden on a full-time basis at Del Mar since 2011. He rode briefly at Del Mar annually each fall in the last five years, winning the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Classic with Knicks Go and the 2024 BC Dirt Mile with Full Serrano.

Rosario returned to Southern California in May.

For a leading rider six weeks into an eight-week meeting, Rosario had a slow start in the first two weeks of the season, which began July 17. He won with 6 of 65 mounts through the end of July.

“That’s how it goes sometimes,” Rosario said Sunday. “It can go up and down.”

Three-win days on July 31, Aug. 2, and Aug. 15 helped boost Rosario’s position. He had a four-win day on Aug. 20.

“I’m working hard, and everyone is giving me opportunities,” Rosario said. “I appreciate that.”

Rosario is booked to ride at Del Mar through Sept. 6. He will ride at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 7, according to his agent, Bill Castle, leaving the possibility Hernandez could secure the title on closing day.

Hernandez traveled to England to ride Bacio in the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes for sprinters. The $593,000 Nunthorpe Stakes was Bacio’s fifth win in six starts.

Two wins have been in England. In June, Hernandez rode Bacio to win in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap for 3-year-olds at five furlongs at Royal Ascot. The Nunthorpe Stakes was a much tougher test, one of that country’s leading summertime sprints.

Bacio, the 5-2 favorite in American pools in a field of 18, led throughout on the straightaway five-furlong course.

“He’s so fast out of the gate,” Hernandez said. “It took three or four jumps and he was in front.

“He wanted to go a little faster than last time at Royal Ascot. I was able to grab him and he came back to me. After that, he was traveling really well.”

Hernandez knew he needed to wait as long as possible to urge Bacio to stay in front.

“Here, you move at the quarter pole,” Hernandez said. “If you do that over there, you’re not going to have horse for the end of the race.

“I hit the last furlong and a half and I saw those other guys getting closer. I thought, I have to start making my move.

“As soon as I went to ask him, he rebroke again. He never wants to get beat.”

With the win, Bacio earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Oct. 31 at Keeneland. Hernandez plans to be there, minus the helicopter.