Del Mar: Heredia, Desert Gate help Hernández ride 6 winners

Making her third U.S. start, 6-year-old Heredia led at every call Saturday on her way to winning in the Grade 2, $200,000 Yellow Ribbon Handicap to give jockey Juan Hernández his sixth win of the day at Del Mar.

Hernández also piloted Desert Gate to victory in the $150,000 Best Pal (G3) for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s record-extending 12th win in the race for 2-year-olds.

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From nine rides Saturday, Hernández had wins in races 2, 4 and four straight from races 6 to 9. It was the eighth time a rider won at least six races in a single day at Del Mar.

“Always when I jump on the horse, I just try and win the race,” Hernández said. “I’m just going to jump on the next horse.”

Heredia is a Dark Angel mare who used to race for Richard Hannon in her native Great Britain. After she was shut down for her 5-year-old season, she was dealt from her breeder St Albans Bloodstock to Qatar-based Wathnan Racing. Transferred to the U.S. and into the care of trainer Graham Motion, she finished third in both the Beaugay (G3) at Belmont at the Big A and the listed De La Rose at Saratoga.

Sent to a relaxed lead Saturday, post-time favorite Heredia (8-5) clicked off pedestrian fractions of 24.93, 49.73, 1:14.25 and 1:37.19 on her way to a winning time of 1:42.92 for the 1 1/16 miles on firm turf. She paid $5.40, $3.20 and $2.40 across the board.

“She took me to the front,” Hernández said. “My filly was really fresh at the post parade, and I was like, she’s going to break sharp, and she did. I was just galloping with her. It was her first time being on the lead, but she loved it. She was strong. I just feel she was really happy, and I just let her be. I was waiting for the quarter pole. She took off again around the quarter pole. And you know, that was it. She was fire to the wire.”

Public Assembly (6-1) was 2 1/4 lengths back in second and returned $6.20 and $4.60. Watchtower (17-1) was third in the field of eight fillies and mares and paid $6.00 to show.

Motion also won the Saratoga Oaks Invitational (G2) on Saturday with undefeated Laurelin.

Desert Gate rolls by 8 3/4 in Best Pal

Desert Gate renewed Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s annual ritual of winning the Best Pal for 2-year-olds.

An Omaha Beach colt who won his June 13 Santa Anita debut, Desert Gate (1-5) flanked early leader Punto Forty (6-1) before looming in the turn and then running away to geared-down, 8 3/4-length triumph Saturday under Hernández.

Baffert won the last four editions of the six-furlong, main-track race with Havnameltdown in 2022, Prince of Monaco in 2023, Getaway Car in 2024 and now Desert Gate. Hernández has been on three of those winners, the exception being Flavien Prat’s ride on Prince of Monaco.

“It’s nice to see these horses develop like this,” Baffert said. “(Desert Gate has) been kind of quiet down here, but he broke well, and that’s the most important part of these 2-year-old races is that they come out clean. This horse is very professional since day 1. It’s nice to have these horses. That’s what we’re in the business for. We just got to keep him healthy and sound.” 

Pavlovian (12-1) rallied from last in the field of five to finish second, a length ahead of third-place Brigante (8-1). Both are trained by Doug O’Neill, who trained Nyquist to the 2015 victory on his way to becoming the most recent Best Pal victor to win the Kentucky Derby. Punto Forty faded to fourth, and St Petersburg (11-1) came home last.

Desert Gate’s winning time was 1:10.37. The pace-setting splits were 22.26 by Punto Forty and then 45.31 and 57.78 seconds by Desert Gate, who paid $2.40 and $2.10. Pavlovian returned $5.00 to place. There was no show betting.

Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman own Desert Gate, who has been sold three times at auction. Most recently he went for $260,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales March auction of 2-year-olds in training.