Santa Anita: Jockey Abel Cedillo returns to site of early success

After a successful winter and early spring at Turfway Park in Kentucky, jockey Abel Cedillo is back at Santa Anita. He plans to ride full-time in Southern California through at least the end of the Santa Anita autumn meet this year.

Cedillo, 35, is a former top rider at Santa Anita. In 2019 the native of Guatemala finished the autumn meet in a tie atop the jockeys standings with Flavien Prat. From 2019 through 2022 he finished in the top five during three straight Santa Anita winter-spring seasons.

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“This is the place to be. I just love to ride here,” Cedillo said Friday.

At Turfway Park, Cedillo finished fourth in the jockeys standings at the track’s short meet at the end of 2023, and then he was third in the winter-spring meet, which opened Jan. 3 and ended March 30.

Cedillo is represented locally by agent Ryan Glatt, son of trainer Mark Glatt. Ryan Glatt spent years as his father’s assistant before recently making the switch to jockey agent.

“Maybe in the future I’ll return to (horsemanship), but I want to give this a try for now.” Glatt said.

Cedillo had three rides Friday on his first day back at Santa Anita. He had six more booked during the weekend. His mounts Sunday include two for Bob Baffert. He will be on Cornell (5-1) in the featured Affirmed Stakes and Hudson Ridge in the seventh, which is a 1 1/4-mile optional-claiming allowance on turf.

“Hopefully we can get off to a fast start,” Cedillo said.

Cedillo, whose first full season was 2010, has 1,659 career wins and more than $48.2 million in purse earnings.