(Jockey Rafael Bejarano at Turfway Park on Bango / Photo by Courtney Snow)

Earlier this year, when the highly touted and mucho talented rider Rafael Bejarano announced that he was returning his tack and his trade back to Kentucky, the news travelled about as quick as a Thoroughbred can run a furlong.

After all, Bejarano — who had been riding the past few years on the coast of California — was once recognized as one of the best riders to ever throw a leg over a horse.

In fact, it was just 16 years ago, in 2004, that Bejarano was the winningest rider in the United States when he totaled an amazing 455 wins. That year, he won 7 races on a single card at Turfway Park and ended that meet with a track-record 196 wins. His earnings of $12,212,308 out of 1,922 mounts was the 8th best in the country that year.

A year later, in 2005, Bejarano was the 4th leading rider in terms of purses won, and soon he was off to the sun and bright lights of Los Angels. Starting in 2008, Bejarano swept all 5 of the major riding titles in Southern California and he was a finalist for the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey.

Starting in 2004 and running all the way through 2016 — a run of 13 years — Bejarano won purses over $10,904,000 each year. The highest total came in 2012, when his mounts totaled $17,081,210 in winnings.

So, when Bejarano told the world that he was picking up and moving back to Kentucky in April of this year?

It was news. Bejarano — who was born in 1982 in Arequipa, Peru — was coming “home” to where it all began. He was coming back to Kentucky, where he emigrated to in the Spring of 2002.

It was news that travelled fast.

And, Rafael Bejarano is traveling fast these days, too. On many of his horses. And, back to the winner’s circles around the Commonwealth.

At the recent Churchill Downs’ Spring/Summer Meet, Bejarano finished 6th in terms of wins — capturing 14 races out of 100 mounts.

In addition, Bejarano was 12th in the rider standings in terms of purses won — earring over $550,696.

At the recent 5-day meet at Keeneland, Bejarano didn’t get a win in 16 rides, but he did have 2 seconds and 3 thirds.

But it has been at Ellis Park — where the sun always shines bright — that Bejarano has hit his best stride; and has heated up with the 90-degree heat.

Over the first 37 rides, he has managed 9 wins, 4 seconds, and 7 thirds. His horses have won 24% of the time, and have finished in the money a whopping 54% of the time.

And, Bejarano has ripped out to a 3-win lead in the race to win the rider’s title at the ole’ “Pea Patch” over friend Miguel Mena.

Some people say that you can never go back “home.” Some people really don’t know Rafael Bejarano. He has come “home,” — where and he has come back winning.

Here’s a look at the Top 25 rides so far this meet at Ellis Park:

1 Rafael Bejarano 37 9 4 7 $168,051 24% 20 54%
2 Corey J. Lanerie 45 4 6 10 $137,132 9% 20 44%
3 Joseph Talamo 20 4 3 4 $123,670 20% 11 55%
4 Miguel Mena 39 6 4 3 $94,180 15% 13 33%
5 James Graham 27 5 5 3 $89,125 19% 13 48%
6 Shaun Bridgmohan 11 3 2 2 $72,333 27% 7 64%
7 Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 12 2 2 3 $69,610 17% 7 58%
8 Julien R. Leparoux 16 2 3 1 $68,438 13% 6 38%
9 Adam Beschizza 25 3 4 5 $64,920 12% 12 48%
10 Declan Cannon 25 2 5 3 $59,725 8% 10 40%
11 Joseph Rocco, Jr. 18 3 1 1 $53,041 17% 5 28%
12 Gerardo Corrales 16 5 1 0 $50,948 31% 6 38%
13 Tyler Baze 21 2 1 4 $47,409 10% 7 33%
14 Colby J. Hernandez 19 1 2 5 $40,136 5% 8 42%
15 Alex Achard 7 1 1 1 $38,325 14% 3 43%
16 Florent Geroux 7 1 1 1 $37,505 14% 3 43%
17 Mitchell Murrill 15 2 3 2 $33,010 13% 7 47%
18 Crystal Conning 5 1 2 0 $27,385 20% 3 60%
19 Edgar Morales 8 1 2 0 $19,185 13% 3 38%
20 Martin Garcia 5 1 1 0 $19,100 20% 2 40%
21 Declan Carroll 14 1 2 2 $15,560 7% 5 36%
22 David Cohen 3 1 0 0 $9,850 33% 1 33%
23 Julie Burke 2 1 0 0 $9,080 50% 1 50%
24 Jesus Lopez Castanon 2 1 0 1 $8,750 50% 2 100%
25 Javier Padron-Barcenas 4 0 1 0 $8,640 0% 1 25%

(Stats compiled by Equibase)