Juan Hernandez

Jockey Juan Hernandez, trainer Phil D'Amato and owner Paul and Zilla Reddam's Reddam Racing emerged victorious in their respective divisions during the 29-day Hollywood Meet at Santa Anita, which closed Sunday, June 16. Hernandez, a native of Veracruz, Mexico, was celebrating a sixth riding title at Santa Anita, having ridden 36 winners from 176 mounts (20.5%), one clear of Antonio Fresu, who joined the local riding colony just over 14 months ago. The Italian had one last chance to dead-heat with Hernandez, but fell just short in Sunday's 12th and...

The third 'Rising Star' to come out of the freshman sire class in just 24 hours, Midland Money (Shancelot--Magnolias In Bloom, by Flatter) became his sire's (by Shanghai Bobby) second overall winner Friday with a gate to wire win at Santa Anita. A $650,000 OBS March buy for CSLR Racing Partners LLC, the colt worked a quick furlong in :9.4 in Ocala to become the most expensive 2-year-old buy from his sire's first crop. He'd already shown his propensity to be quick in the mornings, putting up back to back...

Zedan Racing Stables' 'TDN Rising Star' Muth (Good Magic) has been withdrawn from Saturday's GI Preakness S. after spiking a temperature following his arrival into Pimlico late Tuesday. "We are sick about this. The horse had been doing really well," trainer Bob Baffert told the Pimlico media office. "But we have to do what's right by the horse." Runner-up to fellow 'Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, the $190,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $2-million OBS March topper came off the bench to win...

Michael Lund Petersen's Adare Manor (m, 5, Uncle Mo--Brooklynsway, by Giant Gizmo), who so often shows her best on the front end, took her California tactics on the road with a 5 1/2-length score in Oaklawn's $1.25-million GI Apple Blossom S. Saturday while conceding between one and six pounds to her rivals. Flying Connection (Nyquist), who shipped in from Sunland Park after three straight stakes wins in New Mexico for the red-hot Todd Fincher barn, closed late to nab second over Mar. 24 Shantel Lanerie S. winner Free Like a...

Juan Hernandez topped the riding standings and Doug O'Neill was the top trainer at Santa Anita's 46-day Classic Meet which concluded Sunday. For Hernandez, a 32-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico, this was his fifth riding title at Santa Anita. He finished with 53 wins from 245 mounts and also led all jockeys in earnings with $3,683,348. "I just want to say thank you to everybody for all the support," Hernandez said. "All the owners, trainers and all the people on the backside. The grooms, the gallop boys, because they do...

In a battle of Cal-bred fillies, it was Jethorse, Wachtel Stable and Gary Barber's Daddysruby (Frac Daddy) who just got the bob over the late-closing Big Pond (Mr. Big) in a thrilling finish to the GI La Brea S. at Santa Anita Tuesday. Though not the quickest into stride from her inside post, Daddysruby rushed up along the rail to take the early lead. She was pressed by favored Howl (Practical Joke) through a quarter in :22.21, but opened a clear lead as the favorite--unbeaten in a pair of lifetime...

Santa Anita concluded its 19-day Autumn Meet Sunday with Juan Hernandez on top of the jockey standings by both wins (24) and stakes victories (7). Trainer Mark Glatt edged out Phil D'Amato 12-11 to win his first Santa Anita training title, while Hall of Famer Richard Mandella led trainers by stakes wins with five. Leading owner went to Lee and Susan Searing's C R K Stable, who finished with four trips to the winner's circle. Known at The Great Race Place, Santa Anita hosted the Breeders' Cup Nov. 3-4. Racing...

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. The TDN also posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)-related rulings from the same week. These include decisions from around the country. California Track: Santa Anita Date: 09/06/2023 Licensee: Edwin Maldonado, jockey Penalty: Three-day suspension Violation: Careless...

Zedan Racing Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Muth (c, 2, Good Magic--Hoppa, by Uncle Mo), second as the heavy favorite after pressing a blistering pace in the GIII Best Pal S. Aug. 13, showed a new dimension by coming off the pace while making his two-turn debut in style in Saturday's 'Win and You're In' GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita. It was 3 3/4 lengths back to his Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso) in second. Be You (Curlin) was third. Muth becomes a record-extending 12th American...

To see Adare Manor (f, 4, Uncle Mo--Brooklynsway, by Giant Gizmo) gallop out after Santa Anita's GII Zenyatta S. was to see a filly who looked like she was pretty proud of herself. Indeed, she should have been. The Zenyatta was Adare Manor's fifth straight win, as well as fourth consecutive graded win, and she took this one in the most facile manner possible, eased up as she cruised under the line a 5 1/4-length victress. Clearly the class of the field as the 1-9 favorite, Adare Manor ran like...

It's often been said that, no matter how hard the sport works to become safer, there will never come a time when there are zero fatalities. Unfortunately, that's probably true. But at the recently concluded Del Mar meet, not a single horse suffered a fatal breakdown during a race. Not once did a horse break a leg, crumple to the ground and then have to be euthanized behind a curtain blocking the view of a horrified public, the story making its way into the newspapers or the local news and...

With 39 wins and over $3 million in earnings, jockey Juan Hernandez won his second straight summer meet title at Del Mar while trainer Phil D'Amato picked up his fourth trainer's title out of the last five years. Similar to 2022, the trainer's title came down to the final day. D'Amato went into the final day with a one-win lead over Baffert and two over Doug O'Neill. All three posted one winner on the day. D'Amato won the summer meet title for the second straight year with 21 victories. Last...