Juan Hernandez © Benoit Photo
Juan Hernandez has notched his third straight summer meet title, doing it in style with a three-win closing day, wrapping-up another sparkling performance by the 32-year old native of Mexico.
Hernandez finishes with 47 wins, 31 seconds and 26 thirds, finishing in the money in 65% of his 157 starts. He’s the only rider to compile $3 million in earnings during the meet. He also led in stakes victories with eight, seven with trainer Bob Baffert.
Hernandez win total was 12 more than runner-up Antonio Fresu, who had another impressive meet in just his second year at Del Mar. Fresu had 36 wins. He compiled over $2.8 million in earnings and notched five stakes. Umberto Rispoli finished third in the jockey standings with 32 victories. He tied Hernandez with seven stakes wins, six on the turf.
Hector I. Berrios was next with 22 wins followed by Kyle Frey with 20. Kazushi Kimura tallied 18 victories in his first year riding at Del Mar. Armando Ayuso (13); Reylu Gutierrez (13); Edwin Maldonado (12), and Abel Cedillo (11) round out the Top 10.
Unlike the jockeys race, which Hernandez had all but clinched two weeks ago, the trainers title was up for grabs until closing day. Bob Baffert went into the final week with a five win lead. But defending champion Phil D’Amato had a three-win day on Saturday and sat two back going into the final program.
D’Amato scored in race seven but Baffert came back two races later and captured the G1 Futurity with Gaming, cinching the title with 23 wins. It is Baffert’s first training title since 2002. He shared the title with D’Amato two years ago.
Baffert finishes with a remarkable 73% in the money finishes from 76 starts. D’Amato made a late run but finished second, the first time in three summer meets that he hasn’t at least shared the title of Top Trainer. He did share the most stakes wins with Baffert with eight.
The top pair were followed by Pacific Classic winner Doug O’Neill, who finished with 18 wins. O’Neill also won the G2 Pat O’Brien with Raging Torrent.
John Sadler was fourth with 17 victories followed by Mark Glatt with 16. Three trainers tied for sixth with 13 wins. They were Peter Miller, Michael McCarthy and George Papaprodromou. Completing the Top Ten were Jeff Mullins with 11 and Carla Gaines with 9.
The owners title was a runaway. Hronis Racing had 12 wins during the meet, eight wins better than five ownership groups that finished with four victories a piece.