Juan Hernandez closes in on another Santa Anita riding title

Juan Hernandez won two races on Saturday at Santa Anita to maintain what is unsurmountable lead in the winter-spring meet jockey’s standings.

Through Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby (G1) card, Hernandez had racked up 61 wins through 42 racing days since opening day on Dec. 26. That is more than double the total of his next closest pursuer, Flavien Prat, who had 30 wins through Saturday.

Hernandez, who has won at a robust 25 percent clip at the stand, also leads all Santa Anita jockeys in purse earnings ($4,399,758) and stakes wins (12). The winter-spring meet ends Sunday with a 12-race card.

“This means a lot,” Hernandez said Friday after riding favorite Doris Mae ($3.60) to a popular win in the fourth race for trainer Carla Gaines. “It’s been my dream since I was a kid to ride with the best riders at the best tracks in the world.”

Hernandez, 31-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico, began riding full-time on the Southern California circuit in 2020. At last year’s Santa Anita winter-spring Meet, he earned his first riding title at The Great Race Place when he outpaced Prat, the runner-up.

Hernandez acknowledged this meet has surpassed expectations. With multiple Hall of Famers in the Santa Anita jockey’s room this winter and spring, not to mention international superstar Frankie Dettori, he was not sure what to expect.

“This year the colony of jockeys was really good,” Hernandez said. “Before the meet started I was so excited to get to ride with these guys. To be honest, I wasn’t thinking I would do as good as I have. I thought I could do it but knew it would be tough.”

Hernandez noted a big part of his success has stemmed from the work of veteran agent Craig O’Bryan. Over the decades, O’Bryan has represented such legendary jockeys as Eddie Delahoussaye and Corey Nakatani, among others.

“I just want to say thank you to everybody, including my agent Craig O’Bryan. We make a really good team,” Hernandez said. “He’s a nice guy, everybody likes him. He’s picking the right horses all the time. He knows his job and that helps a lot.”

Hernandez said his personal highlight at the current meet came on opening day when he won both the La Brea (G1) with Fun to Dream for Bob Baffert and the American Oaks (G1) with Rhea Moon for Phil D’Amato. He was also second that day in the GI Malibu with Forbidden Kingdom for trainer Richard Mandella. But he added what made the day even more memorable was that he had family visiting from Mexico.

“I always like to win when my family has a chance to be here,” Hernandez said. “That makes it really special.”

Hernandez had eight more mounts set for Sunday.