Santa Anita: In 36th season, Frankie Dettori enjoys 3-win day

International star Frankie Dettori was in prime form Friday at Santa Anita. Five days into his 36th professional season in the saddle, the 53-year-old jockey from Italy uncorked three eye-catching rides to steal the show.

“I was thinking if I went 1-for-4 that would be good. But to go 3-for-4, that was fantastic,” Dettori said Saturday morning after working a horse recently claimed by trainer Mark Glatt.

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On Friday’s nine-race card, Dettori won the opener by a nose with third-choice Doncic (4-1) going six furlongs on turf for trainer Vladimir Cerin. He then added wins in the third race with odds-on favorite Ze’bul (1-5) going 6 1/2 furlongs on turf and the nightcap with Virat (5-2) in a six-furlong turf race for trainer Dan Blacker.

“In the first I had a good post in no. 1 and then got stopped for room a little bit. But he finished with great style,” Dettori said. “I thought the 1-5 shot should win, but he made hard work of it. Dan’s horse flew in the last, which surprised me because it looked like a very competitive race.”

Although all three rides were exquisite, it was on Virat that Dettori’s immense riding talents were laid bare. Virat was exiting a gate-to-wire win going 6 1/2 furlongs on turf Nov. 2 at Santa Anita. Given that effort, the 5-year-old gelding figured to be on or near the lead again Friday.

Dettori had other ideas.

Virat did break quickest of all but soon was met by multiple challenges on his inside. Dettori saw what was developing and decided to take back. After the leaders ran a half mile in 44.97 seconds, Dettori pulled the trigger on Vitali. The pair blew by the leaders entering the stretch and won easily by 1 3/4 lengths.

“I had never ridden the horse, but he seemed very sensible. I saw there were three horses inside me determined to make the lead, so I asked him to slow down, and he did,” Dettori said. “That was the winning move really. I let the speed in front of me collapse and then came flying.”

For Blacker, the win was particularly satisfying. As a youngster growing up in Oxford, England, the now 41-year-old saw Dettori at the height of his powers when he dominated British racing. This was their first win together.

“The horse ran well obviously, but it came down to the tactics used by Frankie,” Blacker said Saturday morning. “This win really means a lot to me. Back home I would watch him from the sidelines when year after year he was champion jockey and won all the big races.

With the hat trick Dettori had six wins in the current meet to move into a tie for third in the jockey’s standing behind Juan Hernández with nine and Umberto Rispoli with seven.

“All in all it was a great day,” Dettori said. “But that was yesterday. Today is a new day.”

On Saturday’s nine-card, Dettori was booked on four mounts. He was scheduled to be aboard De’Medici (20-1 morning line) in the fourth race for trainer Michael McCarthy, Newgate (4-1) for Bob Baffert in the sixth, Lunar Impact (4-1) for Blacker in the seventh and Reckless Spirit (6-1) in the ninth for Phil D’Amato.