From the Santa Anita Media Team / Victor Ryan:

  • DAYTONA 1-2 FINISHERS FREEDOM’S NOT FREE, SUMTER EYE WICKERR
  • HERNANDEZ OFF TO ROYAL ASCOT AFTER WINNING 4 SATURDAY
  • HALL OF FAMER ROSARIO ALSO EARNS A 4-BAGGER SATURDAY
  • AYUSO MOVES 1 WIN AHEAD OF FRESU IN TIGHT JOCKEY’S RACE

DAYTONA 1-2 FINISHERS FREEDOM’S NOT FREE, SUMTER EYE WICKERR

After running one-two in a thrilling edition of the GIII Daytona Stakes Saturday, winner Freedom’s Not Free and runner-up Sumter were both doing well Sunday morning and will likely meet again next month at Del Mar, this time going one-mile on turf, in the Wickerr Stakes on July 9. The Wickerr is restricted to horses who have not won a stakes at one mile or over since Oct. 1.

In the Daytona at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course, Freedom’s Not Free rallied furiously under Juan Hernandez in the final furlong to edge Sumter by a nose. It was the third stakes win and first at the graded level for Freedom’s Not Free, a 4-year-old colt by Omaha Beach who was returning from a 10-½-month layoff.

“He really kicked it in and showed a tremendous turn of foot,” Glatt said Sunday morning. “He ran exceptional off the layoff.”

Glatt also trains Daytona third-place finisher First Peace, who himself was coming off a 9 ½-month layoff. Ridden by Kazushi Kimura, First Peace finished 1 ½ lengths back of the leading pair after being forwardly placed.

“He didn’t get a smooth trip,” Glatt said. “I think with a smooth trip he would have been a lot closer.”

Richard Mandella, trainer of Sumter, also confirmed Sunday morning that his charge would be moving on to the Wickerr.

HERNANDEZ OFF TO ROYAL ASCOT AFTER WINNING 4 RACES SATURDAY

After winning four races on Saturday’s 12-race card, jockey Juan Hernandez is done riding at the Hollywood Meet. The 34-year-old reinsman will miss the final two days of the season as on Sunday he is traveling to England to ride the prestigious Royal Ascot meet that starts on Tuesday.

“I’m leaving (Sunday) and get there on Monday,” Hernandez said after winning Saturday’s GIII Summertime Oaks aboard Mizumi for trainer Bob Baffert. “I’m planning to go to the track Tuesday morning to get a feel for it and we’ll take it from there. I’ve never been there and am really excited about it.”

Hernandez is scheduled to ride three horses at Royal Ascot, all trained by Wesley Ward. He’ll be aboard Ruiva in Wednesday’s GII Queen Mark Stakes for 2-year-old fillies, Bacio on Friday in the Palace of Holyroodhouse Handicap for 3-year-olds and Ez Tina in Saturday’s GII Norfolk Stakes for 2-year-olds.

On Saturday in addition to winning the Summertime Oaks with Mizumi ($3.20), Hernandez also won the GIII Daytona aboard Freedom’s Not Free ($12.20) for trainer Mark Glatt, the fourth race with Clubhouse Cutie ($6) for trainer Ian Kruljac and the 10th race with None Above the Law ($12.80) for trainer Peter Miller.

The 4-win day vaulted Hernandez to third in the jockey’s standings with 27 wins from 101 mounts (27 percent).

HALL OF FAMER ROSARIO ALSO EARNS 4-BAGGER SATURDAY

Hall of Fame jockey Joel Rosario continues to be a force since relocating to Santa Anita five weeks ago. On Saturday, Rosario rode four winners on a 12-race card to move into fourth place among jockeys in wins at the Hollywood Meet.

Rosario won the fifth race on Mici’s Express ($5.80) for trainer Isidro Tamayo, the fifth race aboard Divisible By ($3.80) for Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale, the ninth race with Lady Gambita ($13) for trainer O.J. Jauregui and the 12th race aboard Butterfly Beach ($7.20) for Drysdale. He now has 23 wins from 94 mounts at the stand (24 percent).

Inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2024, Rosario has won 3,826 races and tallied $348,621,679 in purse earnings, the latter of which ranks fifth all-time among jockeys.

Rosario has 10 mounts scheduled for Sunday’s 12-race program which includes aboard Living Life (6-1) in the featured GIII San Juan Capistrano for trainer Ron Ellis. The San Juan Capistrano goes as the ninth race at 5:08 p.m. PT.

AYUSO MOVES 1 WIN AHEAD OF FRESU IN TIGHT JOCKEY’S RACE

Jockey Armando Ayuso leads the jockey’s standings by a single victory over Antonio Fresu after winning two races on Saturday’s 12-race card. Fresu rode one winner on the program.

Ayuso, who is seeking his first Santa Anita riding title, won the first race aboard longshot How About Pavel ($42.20) for trainer Genaro Vallejo and the third race with Have Style ($12) for trainer Antonio Garcia. Fresu, the leading rider at last year’s Hollywood Meet, won the seventh race aboard Stay Bossy ($12.80) for trainer Steve Miyadi.

With two days remaining in the meet, Ayuso has won 31 races from 169 mounts (18 percent). Fresu has 30 wins from 170 mounts (18 percent).

Ayuso, a 32-year-old native of Panama, has 19 mounts remaining which includes in all 12 races on Sunday. Fresu, a 34-year-old from Sardinia, has 14 mounts remaining with nine of those on Sunday.

WORKS: MR. A.P., FULL SERRANO, DR. VENKMAN, AMONG NOTABLES

Mr. A.P., sidelined since finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on Oct. 31, along with Full Serrano and Dr. Venkman—both pointed to the GII San Diego Handicap on July 18 at Del Mar—were among the notables on Sunday’s work tab.

Mr. A.P., trained by Vladimir Cerin, worked five furlongs in 1:01.8. It was the sixth work since May 11 for the American Pharoah ridgling. Cerin said Mr. A.P. would return in either an allowance race at Del Mar or the Oceanside Stakes on opening day July 17, which would be his first time racing on turf.

Dr. Venkman, who won last year’s San Diego, drilled five furlongs in 1:00.0 for trainer Mark Glatt. The 6-year-old horse by Ghostzapper hasn’t started since finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.

Full Serrano, trained by John Sadler, worked three furlongs in 35.2 seconds. Full Serrano, winner of the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, most recently finished fourth in the GIII Oaklawn Mile after a poor start on March 28.