Juan Hernandez

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...

Sunday dawned emotionally overcast for a racing world still trying to process Saturday's stunning, life-ending injury to the unbeaten New York-bred filly Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic), who was steps from victory in the GI Test S. at Saratoga when she crashed to the track with a catastrophic injury to her right foreleg. She was euthanized on the spot, while jockey Joel Rosario escaped serious injury (three lip stitches) and was off his Sunday mounts. The very public, deep-stretch tragedy on a huge day of racing is comparable to the...

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 will also post a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from the same week. These will include decisions from around the country.   CALIFORNIA Track: Del Mar Date: 07/27/2023 Licensee: Ed Carroll, owner Penalty:...

When Hall of Famer Bob Baffert debuts a well-bred 2-year-old colt at Del Mar's summer meeting, the horse racing world pauses to pay attention. Taking money opposite the MyRacehorse entry of A Day to Remember (American Pharoah), Heartland (Justify) proved his mettle with a near last-to-first effort to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star'. Off at 4-5 as the gates opened, the race looked like it may be over for the colt before it even began when Heartland ducked to the inside in the opening strides and nearly unseated jockey...

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 will also post a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from the same week. These will include decisions from around the country. California Track: Los Alamitos Date: 07/08/2023 Licensee: Rene Amescua, trainer Penalty: $2,400...

Juan Hernandez, Phil D'Amato and Paul and Zillah Reddam's Reddam Racing emerged as the leaders in the jockey, trainer and owner divisions, respectively, during Santa Anita's Hollywood Meet, which concluded a 28-day run at the Los Angeles area oval Sunday, June 18. With a Sunday three-timer, emerging talent Hernandez continued his stranglehold on the Southern California jockeys' premiership, as he booted home 42 winners during the meeting. Hernandez, whose closing-day victories included the ride aboard new 'TDN Rising Star' Muth (Good Magic), saluted in 10 added-money events, five more than...

Caught late and forced to settle for second when racing for Sean McCarthy in last year's GI Hollywood Gold Cup, Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's Defunded (Dialed In) wrested command of the 2023 iteration soon after the start and led past every pole to give trainer Bob Baffert a ninth victory in the event, breaking a tie with the legendary Charlie Whittingham for the most wins in the history of the race. Favored at 3-5, the chestnut broke well and took his five rivals along at a comfortable...

Sent off the 3-1 second favorite to maintain a perfect record in four starts since switching to the grass just after the turn of the calendar, C R K Stable's Exaulted (Twirling Candy) was forwardly placed behind a pair of longshot leaders, got first crack at them into the stretch and kicked home smartly to win the GI Shoemaker Mile Monday at Santa Anita and with it, a fees-paid berth into the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile over the course and distance in November. Away smoothly for Juan Hernandez, the...

Juan Hernandez was the leading rider and Phil D'Amato topped the trainer's list at Santa Anita's 43-day Classic Meet, which concluded Sunday. Tim and Mark Cohen's Rancho Temescal and Red Baron's Barn were the meet's leading owners. Hernandez, a 31-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico won four races on opening day and never slowed down, adding two races on closing day Sunday to give him 63 victories for the meet, more than double that of runner-up Flavien Prat's 31. In the all-important stakes-won category, it was Hernandez leading Prat 13 to...

Rhea Moon (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) was produced by the hot-riding Juan Hernandez approaching the final furlong and fought her way past pace-pressing stablemate School Dance (Animal Kingdom) in the final couple of jumps to win Monday's GI American Oaks at Santa Anita. A 6-1 gamble exiting a 1 1/4-length success in the GIII Autumn Miss S. going a mile over this course Oct. 29, Rhea Moon was one of the last away, but improved along the inside while tugging a bit for her head and raced fourth-last with a circuit...

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. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week. California Track: Santa Anita Date: 10/07/2022 Licensee: Leonard Rivero, owner Penalty:...

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. With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week. California: Track: Los Alamitos Date: 10/02/2022 Licensee: Juan Hernandez, jockey Penalty:...