Pacific Classic week: Which Del Mar riders offer value?
As the Pacific Classic headlines Saturday's stellar card at Del Mar, handicappers would be wise to familiarize themselves with the track's leading jockeys and their key strengths.
Juan Hernandez is dominating the 2025 Del Mar meet with 31 victories, posting an impressive 25.4% win rate alongside a positive 7.4% Horse Racing Nation impact score.
Antonio Fresu is in second place with 25 wins and a solid 16.3% strike rate, though his -3.6% HRN impact suggests he might be underperforming given the quality of his mounts. Hector Berrios rounds out the leading trio with 22 victories and a standout 17.6% HRN impact, indicating he's significantly beating the odds on his rides.
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The win totals tell one story, but the impact figures reveal intriguing value plays for handicappers. Ricardo Gonzalez has found the winner's circle nine times and delivered an exceptional 82.9% HRN impact, meaning he's far outperforming expectations. Even more remarkable is Welfin Orantes, who despite just three wins from 21 starts has posted a massive 120.8% impact score, a clear sign he's been getting the job done on horses the betting public has overlooked.
Before diving into the details of which jockeys are performing well on both the dirt and turf tracks, let's first look at the overall standings.
| Jockey | Starts | Wins | Win % | HRN Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juan Hernandez | 122 | 31 | 25.4% | 7.4% |
| Antonio Fresu | 153 | 25 | 16.3% | -3.6% |
| Hector Berrios | 98 | 22 | 22.4% | 17.6% |
| Kazushi Kimura | 155 | 19 | 12.3% | -4.1% |
| Umberto Rispoli | 87 | 16 | 18.4% | -7.0% |
| Armando Ayuso | 122 | 13 | 10.7% | 8.5% |
| Ricardo Gonzalez | 46 | 9 | 19.6% | 82.9% |
| Tyler Baze | 72 | 8 | 11.1% | 21.6% |
| Abel Lezcano | 55 | 7 | 12.7% | 4.1% |
| Diego Herrera | 71 | 7 | 9.9% | 13.3% |
| Kyle Frey | 105 | 7 | 6.7% | -33.1% |
| Ruben Silvera | 44 | 6 | 13.6% | 21.3% |
Main track competition showcases top jockeys
Juan Hernandez maintains his overall leadership on the main track with 17 wins for a 30.4% win rate. Hector Berrios follows with 11 victories on dirt and shows strong value with a 19.4% HRN impact.
Antonio Fresu rounds out the top three riders on the main track with 10 wins for a 15.4% strike rate. Several jockeys with fewer opportunities have posted solid results, including Armando Ayuso with eight wins and a strong 19.5% HRN impact, and Tyler Baze with five wins and an 11.8% HRN impact.
Notable among the main track performers is Umberto Rispoli, who has an 18.5% strike rate with five wins.
| Jockey | Main Track Starts |
Main Track Wins |
Win % | HRN Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juan Hernandez | 56 | 17 | 30.4% | 1.4% |
| Hector Berrios | 41 | 11 | 26.8% | 19.4% |
| Antonio Fresu | 65 | 10 | 15.4% | -7.4% |
| Kazushi Kimura | 70 | 9 | 12.9% | -5.9% |
| Armando Ayuso | 59 | 8 | 13.6% | 19.5% |
| Abel Lezcano | 30 | 6 | 20.0% | 22.8% |
| Kyle Frey | 51 | 5 | 9.8% | -11.3% |
| Tyler Baze | 40 | 5 | 12.5% | 11.8% |
| Umberto Rispoli | 27 | 5 | 18.5% | 13.0% |
| Diego Herrera | 40 | 4 | 10.0% | 0.5% |
| Ruben Silvera | 29 | 3 | 10.3% | -14.2% |
| Edwin Maldonado | 39 | 3 | 7.7% | -28.2% |
| Armando Aguilar | 28 | 2 | 7.1% | -3.7% |
| Geovanni Franco | 20 | 2 | 10.0% | 14.6% |
| William Antongeorgi III | 28 | 2 | 7.1% | -1.1% |
| Flavien Prat | 4 | 2 | 50.0% | 18.8% |
| Drayden Van Dyke | 17 | 2 | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| Mirco Demuro | 16 | 2 | 12.5% | 26.6% |
| Serafin Carmona | 21 | 1 | 4.8% | 13.6% |
Hernandez, Berrios excel on grass
Antonio Fresu leads the turf standings with 15 wins from 88 starts for a 17% win rate.
Juan Hernandez and Hector Berrios rank first and second among turf jockeys in HRN Impact. Berrios leads with a 15.9% HRN Impact and 11 victories. Hernandez follows with a 15.8% HRN Impact and 14 wins.
Several jockeys with limited opportunities have posted impressive results. Ricardo Gonzalez leads all riders in turf HRN impact with a massive 197.9% from eight wins. Armando Aguilar, who despite having only 20 turf starts has managed three wins for a 15% percent strike rate with a 127.5% HRN impact.
Other riders have shown strong turf performance despite limited opportunities, though with lower strike rates than the leaders. The complete rankings appear below.
| Jockey | Turf Starts |
Turf Wins |
Win % | HRN Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antonio Fresu | 88 | 15 | 17.0% | -0.9% |
| Juan Hernandez | 66 | 14 | 21.2% | 15.8% |
| Hector Berrios | 57 | 11 | 19.3% | 15.9% |
| Umberto Rispoli | 60 | 11 | 18.3% | -13.9% |
| Kazushi Kimura | 85 | 10 | 11.8% | -2.3% |
| Ricardo Gonzalez | 25 | 8 | 32.0% | 197.9% |
| Armando Ayuso | 63 | 5 | 7.9% | -5.4% |
| Armando Aguilar | 20 | 3 | 15.0% | 127.5% |
| Diego Herrera | 31 | 3 | 9.7% | 36.4% |
| Tyler Baze | 32 | 3 | 9.4% | 42.3% |
| Ruben Silvera | 15 | 3 | 20.0% | 107.2% |
| Welfin Orantes | 6 | 2 | 33.3% | 270.8% |
| Kyle Frey | 54 | 2 | 3.7% | -58.5% |
| Mirco Demuro | 43 | 2 | 4.7% | -51.3% |
| Kent Desormeaux | 6 | 1 | 16.7% | 49.8% |
| Serafin Carmona | 16 | 1 | 6.3% | 6.5% |
| Edwin Maldonado | 17 | 1 | 5.9% | -50.0% |
| William Antongeorgi III | 18 | 1 | 5.6% | 9.9% |
| Assael Espinoza | 13 | 1 | 7.7% | 57.5% |