Santa Anita: Hernandez has 1-win lead, D’Amato clinches title

It was down to the wire in the race for leading jockey at the Santa Anita spring meet. Entering closing day Sunday, Juan Hernandez had 35 wins at the stand to hold a one-win advantage over Antonio Fresu.

Hernandez continued his late surge Saturday when earning his third hat trick in as many days. The 32-year-old native of Veracruz won Saturday’s second race aboard favorite Hardmoneymuchachos ($4) for trainer Peter Miller, the seventh on favorite Runamileinmyshoes ($4.60) for trainer Jeff Mullins and the 10th on favorite Hope Road ($3.20) for trainer Bob Baffert.

As for Fresu, he bagged a pair of wins on Saturday’s 11-race card to stay well within striking distance. The 32-year-old native of Sardinia, Italy, won the sixth race aboard Thirsty in Vegas ($10.20) for trainer Steve Knapp and the ninth on favorite Divin Propos ($4) for trainer Phil D’Amato.

Fresu will have every chance Sunday to surge past Hernandez in the standings. He is booked to ride 10 of 12 races, including on four morning-line favorites. They are Motorious (3-1) for D’Amato in the opener, Ultimate Gamble (9-5) in the fifth for trainer Mark Glatt, She’z the Law (5-2) in the 10th for Glatt and Villified (3-1) in the 11th for trainer Tim Yakteen.

Hernandez is scheduled on eight mounts. The only program favorite in that group is Final Boss (8-5) in the co-featured Cinema Stakes, which goes as the fourth race at approximately 5:05 p.m. EDT. Fresu is on co-third choice British Isles (3-1) in the Cinema for trainer Richard Baltas.

Hernandez is seeking his sixth Santa Anita riding title. Fresu, who has been riding in the U.S. for only about 14 months, is trying for his first domestic riding title. At the Santa Anita winter meet, which ended April 7, Hernandez and Fresu finished 1-2 in the jockey’s standings. Hernandez rode 53 winners, and Fresu finished with 46 victories.

Fresu and Hernandez also lead all jockeys with four stakes wins each at the Hollywood Meet. In Sunday’s Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano, Hernandez will ride 5-2 second choice Offlee Naughty for trainer Michael McCarthy and Fresu will be on third-choice Rockemperor for D’Amato.

D’Amato clinches 6th Santa Anita trainer’s title

After saddling two winners Saturday, Phil D’Amato secured his sixth trainer’s title at Santa Anita.

D’Amato scored in Saturday’s ninth race with favorite Divin Propos ($4) and the 11th and final with Sea of Cortez ($11.20). D’Amato entered Sunday’s closing day program with 22 wins at the stand, which was five more than runner-up Doug O’Neill. O’Neill had just one horse entered Sunday, Mucino (4-1) in the second race.

D’Amato’s six stakes wins at the meet also leads all trainers. O’Neill and Bob Baffert are next with four stakes wins. D’Amato’s added-money victories have come with Uncorked in the Royal Heroine (G3), Gold Phoenix in the Charles Whittingham (G2), Circle of Trust in the Honeymoon (G3), Musical Rhapsody in the Santa Barbara, King of Gosford in the Desert Code and Shady Tiger in the Snow Chief.

Overall at the spring meet, D’Amato entered Sunday is 22-for-113 (19 percent) with $1,355,472 in earnings, which also leads all trainers.

D’Amato most recent Santa Anita trainer’s title came at last year’s spring meet. He’s also been the leading conditioner at Santa Anita’s 2023 Classic meet, 2022 winter meet, 2021 winter meet and 2016 winter meet.

D’Amato, 44, was born and raised in nearby San Pedro. He formerly was an assistant for the late Mike Mitchell. Entering Sunday, D’Amato had 963 career wins and $71,644,334 in earnings.