Juan Hernandez © Benoit Photo
TOP JOCK JUAN HERNANDEZ SET SIGHTS ON ANOTHER RIDING TITLE
The last time we saw jockey Juan Hernandez at Del Mar he was on the wrong end of a heartbreaking defeat in the jockey standings to old-time nemesis Flavien Prat, who won five races on closing day of the 2022 Fall Meet to snatch the title from Hernandez. It’s one of the few times Hernandez has tasted defeat in the past two years.
Undeterred, Hernandez went out and won the Santa Anita Winter and Spring jockey titles and is poised for another good showing this summer at Del Mar. He’ll have to wait a day to get started. He was suspended for a whip violation on closing day at Los Alamitos.
“It’s really important to get off to a good start,” Hernandez says, “because the owners and the trainers notice you winning races and then they want to ride you. If I don’t get off to a good start, that’s alright, too. I’ll just be working really hard and trying every day.”
It won’t be easy for the 31-year old rider from Veracruz, Mexico to duplicate last summer’s performance. He won the first race and finished with three wins on opening day. He won eight races in the first week and never trailed in the jockey standings, building an insurmountable lead by mid-August and coasting to his second riding title at Del Mar. He beat Umberto Rispoli by 21 wins.
Hernandez attributes his success over the past couple of years to good horses and being lucky.
“Nice opportunities from the owners and the trainers,” he says. “They’ve been supporting me a lot. I just do the same thing every day. Workout horses in the morning and give all the chances to the horse to win the race in the afternoon.”
Hernandez also gives a lot of credit to his agent, Craig O’Bryan.
“He’s the one picking the winners,” he says.
And lots of them. Hernandez collected 30-graded stakes victories in 2022 and compiled earnings of over $15 million, his best year to date. His earnings were ninth best among jockeys in 2022. Yet Hernandez is not above learning new ways to beat the competition.
“I pay attention to every rider,” Hernandez says. “When they do something that I like I try to copy them and do the same thing. They just make you a better rider.”
With all the success Hernandez has enjoyed since leaving Northern California in June of 2020 comes the obvious question, when is he taking his act national and riding the marquee races throughout the year. For instance this weekend’s G1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park has attracted Mike Smith, Javier Castellano and Joel Rosario. But Juan says, for now he’s content right where he’s at.
“I think that’s the goal,” Hernandez says, “It’s a possibility but not right now, maybe later. Right now I’m focused here and I want to keep doing a really good job here.”
The rest of the jockey colony has been warned.
DARLING OF DEL MAR RETURNS IN G2 SAN CLEMENTE SATURDAY
The filly that captured top honors at Del Mar in 2022 returns Opening Weekend, trying something new for the first time. And Tell Me Nolies, who was named top 2-year-old filly at the summer meet last year, returns to the seaside oval in the G2 San Clemente Saturday. It’s the first graded stake of the meet, a one mile test on the grass for 3-year-old fillies.
And Tell Me Nolies broke her maiden at Del Mar last August and parlayed that into a breakout win in the G1 Debutante. She followed that with another impressive victory in the G1 Chandelier at Santa Anita, punching her ticket to the Breeders’ Cup. The daughter of Arrogate ran eighth in the Juvenile Fillies.
She returned as a 3-year-old with runner-up finishes in the G3 Santa Ysabel and the G2 Santa Anita Oaks earning her a shot at the Kentucky Oaks. But the day before the race, she tossed her exercise rider and galloped through the stable area. She was unharmed and eventually made the race, but ran 12th.
And Tell Me Nolies returned to Southern California only to put in a head-scratching seventh in the G2 Summertime Oaks.
“She didn’t run her race,” Miller says. “We don’t know why. We gave her a little break after and she’s doing very well. She worked really good the other day.”
He’s referring to a 5-furlong work in 1:00.00 at San Luis Rey Downs last Saturday, third best out of 42 works at that distance that day. This will be her first stab at running on the grass.
“All the races here are really turf,” Miller explains when asked why he chose to switch surfaces. “They don’t have any big 3-year old dirt races at Del Mar so your choice is to either run against older horses or try the grass. Her pedigree says she might handle the turf. Arrogate is by Unbridled Song and they like the grass.”
“We’ll see what happens,” he continues. “If it goes well we’ll look to the Del Mar Oaks and, if not, maybe the Torrey Pines.”
She’ll have some stiff competition in the San Clemente starting with a pair of runners from the Philip D’Amato barn. Paris Secret won the G3 Providencia at Santa Anita in April before finishing third last out in the G3 Honeymoon behind Selenaia and Broadway Girls.
“That last race I threw her in there kind of happenstance,” D’Amato says. “I was going to wait for the San Clemente and I thought maybe I’d run her one more time. You can blame the trainer for that one.”
D’Amato has put the blinkers on Paris Secret and believes she’s ready to run a big race. His other entry, Comanche Country is looking to rebound back into form. She won three straight races last year including the $100,000 Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar in September. The daughter of Highland Reel tried the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and finished seventh. She came back as a 3-year-old and ran second in the China Doll at Santa Anita but finished out of the money in her last two starts, both graded stakes.
“She was a little bit farther back than I liked,” D’Amato says of her last race in the Summertime Oaks. “She didn’t show the interest she showed me as a 2-year-old so we added blinkers and I think she’ll be more forwardly placed this time.”
Ancient Peace is trained by John Sadler. She was runner-up in the Summertime Oaks to Window Shopping. She broke her maiden at Santa Anita in December at the San Clemente distance and followed that with a six length victory in an off-the-turf entry level allowance.
Trainer Doug O’Neill brings Broadway Girls into the San Clemente off a runner-up finish in the Honeymoon, her best finish in five starts as a 3-year-old. The daughter of Army Mule broke her maiden and won the $100,000 Blue Norther as a 2-year-old.
Chismosa returns to Del Mar where she won twice during the summer meet last year. The Cal-bred daughter of Clubhouse Ride won the CTBA Stakes and the Generous Portion for trainer Rafael DeLeon. Most recently she finished second to the highly regarded Eda in the Great Lady M at Los Alamitos.
The 56th G2 San Clemente will go off as the ninth of 11 races Saturday. Estimated post time is 6 p.m.
Here’s the field from the rail out with the jockeys: Flying Connection (Rene Diaz, 20-1); Ancient Piece (Tiago Pereira, 20-1); Anisette (Umberto Rispoli, 4-1); Delight (Joe Bravo, 5-1); And Tell Me Nolies (Antonio Fresu, 15-1); Spicybug (Kent Desormeaux, 6-1); Infinite Diamond (scratched); Paris Secret (Edwin Maldonado, 6-1); Ocean Club (Drayden Van Dyke, 15-1); Olivia Twist (Kyle Frey, 50-1); Wed (Juan Hernandez, 6-1); Comanche Country (Ramon Vasquez, 6-1); Fast And Shiny (Abel Cedillo, 20-1); The Wild Grazer (Hector Berrios, 15-1)and Broadway Girls (Giovanni Franco, 10-1). AE: Justique (Antonio Fresu, 5-1).
HONEY PANTS IN SEARCH OF FIRST WEST COAST VICTORY IN OSUNITAS
A full field of 14 fillies and mares go the post in the $100,000 Osunitas Stakes, part of an eleven race program on the first Saturday of the meet. The one mile test on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course has attracted a couple of winners from last summer’s meet and a couple of relocated east coast invaders.
The morning line favorite is one of those mares that ran on the east coast last year. Under the care of conditioner Christophe Clement, Honey Pants ran at Belmont Park, Gulfstream, Pimlico and Monmouth before landing in the Phil D’Amato barn this spring. She comes into the Osunitas off a runner-up finish in the $100,000 Mizdirection at Santa Anita. The daughter of Cairo Prince will be ridden by Umberto Rispoli.
Warrens Candy Girl is no stranger to the Del Mar winners circle. She won the $150,000 Solana Beach during last summer’s meet, the fourth victory in 11 starts on the turf course here. The Cal-bred mare by Clubhouse Ride hails from the Craig Lewis barn.
Awake At Midnyte also won at Del Mar last year, capturing an entry level allowance on Labor Day weekend. She hasn’t returned to the winners circle since though she’s posted runner-up finishes in the G1 La Brea, the G2 Zenyatta and the G2 Santa Monica.
“We’re excited about her,” trainer Doug O’Neill says. “It’s a tough race but she drew well (Post #9), kind of in the middle of the pack. We’re adding blinkers to her and she’ll be forwardly placed and hopefully first to the wire.”
Nevisian Sunrise is another east coast invader trying the west coast for the first time. The daughter of War Front hasn’t raced since Saratoga last summer. The former Chad Brown-trainee is now in the Michael McCarthy barn.
“You always want to be optimistic coming into a new meet and we are,” McCarthy says. “We’ll see what happens here, hopefully we’ll get off to a good start.”
Canoodling and Very Scary are also worth consideration in the Osunitas which goes off as race #7. Approximate post time is 5 p.m.
Here’s the field from the rail out with the jockeys and morning line odds: Ladywearsthering (Edwin Maldonado, 20-1); Very Scary (Kent Desormeaux, 6-1); Warrens Candy Girl (Ramon Vasquez, 5-1); Paris Peacock (scratched); Over Attracted (Joe Bravo, 20-1); Canoodling (Victor Espinoza, 5-1); Nevisian Sunrise (Juan Hernandez, 5-1); Awake At Midnyte (Mario Gutierrez, 12-1); Freedom Flyer (Antonio Fresu, 20-1); Una Chiquitita (Hector Berrios, 20-1); Honey Pants (4-1); Anthonys Cleopatra (Assael Espinoza, 20-1); Symphony Perfect (Abel Cedillo, 12-1) and Lucky Girl (Joe Bravo, 12-1). AE: Turnerloose (Antonio Fresu, 8-1).
HANDICAPPING SEMINARS RETURN TO DEL MAR
Who can’t use a little help handicapping the horses and Del Mar offers a series of handicapping seminars beginning this weekend. Every Saturday and Sunday during the summer meet, top handicappers will offer their insights prior to the races. The sessions are free and held at the Plaza de Mexico, behind the grandstand west of the paddock. On Saturday, host Frank Scatoni will have Peter Fornatale as his handicapping guest. Then on Sunday, Dan Smith will have Equibase trackman Ellis Davis as his guest. The seminars start at 1 p.m. and last 30-to-45 minutes.
DAYBREAK AT DEL MAR
Del Mar is offering an excellent way to enjoy your Saturday breakfast without the long wait to get a seat.
Daybreak at Del Mar returns again this season. The popular program kicks off this Saturday. Fans can walk into the track free, purchase breakfast at one of the nearby concession stands and then enjoy your meal while watching the morning workouts. It’s interactive, too with one of Del Mar’s hosts available to tell you about the horses and answers your questions.
It begins at 7:30 a.m. and lasts for about an hour and half. You will have to pay for parking but you can get it validated when you buy breakfast. Just drive through the main gate, park in the main lot, enter through the clubhouse entrance and head to the second floor restaurant area. No reservations are needed.
COOLING OUT: Del Mar’s top 3-year old of 2022 is back for this year’s summer meet. Slow Down Andy won last year’s G2 Del Mar Derby. Trainer Doug O’Neill says the colt will work Saturday and if all goes well will be pointed to the G2 San Diego next weekend…Friday was the busiest day of training so far this summer. Notable works: Salesman (2f, :24.40); Spycatcher (3f, 36.80); Air Force Red (4f, :50.00); Bran (5f, 1:00.40); Brickyard Ride (5f, :58.00); Eda (5f, 1:00.40); National Treasure (5f, :59.20) and Royal Ship (6f, 1:11.60). 186 horses put in official workouts Friday… Festivals and activities continue through the eight weeks of racing starting Saturday when Del Mar rolls out its Beer Fest. Up to 50 brews, ciders and seltzers will be available for your tasting with local beer vendors on hand to answer any questions. There will also be food available to pair with your favorite drink…