Frankie Dettori's Southern California sojourn could scarcely have gotten off to a more positive start, as the legendary jockey rode a three-timer on the opening day of the winter/spring meeting at Santa Anita Park just outside of Los Angeles.
In the first of his four rides on Boxing Day, Dettori was reunited with the Country Grammer (Tonalist), with whom the Italian won his record-equaling fourth G1 Dubai World Cup last March, in the GII San Antonio S. (video), a potential steppingstone to yet another Middle East appearance. Handy to the pace every step, Dettori set the 5-year-old alight with two furlongs remaining and pulled away by 4 1/2 lengths at 3-5.
“I'm spending the winter here and on day one riding here, on one of the best horses in the world, the pressure was on,” said the 52-year-old. “I felt it but the horse was in great form, and I was able to enjoy the scream of the crowd and it is nice to be back at Santa Anita. What a place! What a crowd, it's amazing.”
There were more flying dismounts to come. Dettori made the most of the opportunity in the very next event, leading every step of the way to cause a 13-2 upset astride the Doug O'Neill-trained La Deuxieme Etoile (Nyquist) in a 6 1/2-furlong allowance on Santa Anita's unique downhill turf course, and he made it three on the trot aboard favoured Ballet Dancing (Medaglia d'Oro) for Simon Callaghan and the Coolmore partners in a nine-furlong allowance two races later. Dettori's mounts were unplaced in the GI Malibu S. and GI American Oaks later in the program.
One thing is clear–Dettori, who recently announced that he will hang up his tack at the end of next season, is energized and is relishing the task at hand.
“Thirty-five years went like a flash. I've got to make these last 12 months the best that I can and enjoy it,” he said. “Most of all I've had a great career, and this is where it all started, and this is where it will finish.”
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