From the Santa Anita Media Team / Victor Ryan:

  • • JOCKEY HERNANDEZ GETS CAREER WIN NO. 3,000 SUNDAY
  • • EARLY ENCORE DAZZLES IN DEBUT FOR SADLER; GRADUATION NEXT
  • • WORKS: STRONGHOLD, MOTORIOUS, THE PADRE AMONG NOTABLES
  • • FRESU MOVES TO THE LEAD IN TIGHT RACE FOR LEADING JOCKEY

JOCKEY JUAN HERNANDEZ GETS CAREER WIN NO. 3,000 SUNDAY

Jockey Juan Hernandez reached a notable milestone on Sunday when earning career win No. 3,000 at Santa Anita Park.

Hernandez accomplished the feat in Sunday’s ninth and final race when guiding Syntax ($8.80) to victory in a starter allowance going one mile on turf. Hernandez went right to the lead with the Librado Barocio-trained filly and rationed her speed deftly to prevail by a half-length on the wire.

“I was thinking about if before the race, that it would be nice to do it here,” Hernandez said. “Then I just rode my race. After the wire when I heard Frank Mirahmadi say that is win No. 3,000, I thought ‘wow, I made it.’”

Hernandez was joined in the winner’s circle by his wife Melissa and their two sons, Juan and Emilio.

“I just want to thank everyone for their support,” Hernandez said. “My family here and my family in Mexico.”

Hernandez, 34, hails from Veracruz, Mexico. He rode his first winner in 2009 in Puerto Rico before relocating to Northern California. After finding lots of success on that circuit, he moved to the southern part of the state full-time in 2020. He has since won nine riding titles at Santa Anita. At the current Hollywood Meet, Hernandez is winning at a robust 29 percent clip (17 for 58) through Sunday.

Hernandez has been represented by agent Craig O’Bryan since he moved to Southern California full-time.

“Juan has been just an absolute pleasure to work with,” said O’Bryan, who has represented many top jockeys during his long career. “I’m really proud of him, he deserves it.”

In his career, Hernandez has won 21 Grade I races and tallied total purse earnings of $111,501,184.

“I just love riding horses,” Hernandez said. “Let’s keep winning races.” Hernandez has six mounts on Monday’s 10-race card at Santa Anita. In the three graded stakes on the program, Hernandez will ride morning line favorite Malarchuk (8-5) in the GII Hollywood Gold Cup for trainer Michael McCarthy; Vronti (4-1) in the GI Gamely for trainer Graham Motion; and Genius Jimmy (20-1) in the GI Shoemaker Mile for McCarthy.

 

EARLY ENCORE DAZZLES IN DEBUT FOR SADLER; GRADUATION NEXT

The 2-year-old colt Early Encore stole the show Sunday at Santa Anita Park. From the first crop of 2022 Preakness winner Early Voting, Early Encore in the fourth race rolled to a 6 ¾-length win while stopping the clock in a swift 51.76 seconds for 4 ½ furlongs.

Early Encore is trained by John Sadler for an extensive ownership group that includes Desert Sun Stables, Saints or Sinners and Tier Racing. Sadler purchased the California-bred colt as agent for $90,000 at last year’s Fasig-Tipton California fall yearlings sale.

Sadler Monday morning reported Early Encore “came out of his race good. We’re very happy.” He said the plan now is for Early Encore to return in the Graduation Stakes for statebreds going 5 ½ furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 7.

Early Encore’s winning time was the fastest for a 4 ½-furlong race at Santa Anita since Big City Lights, a California-bred graded stakes winner, broke his maiden in 51.63 seconds in 2021. Early Encore is the second standout colt by Early Voting to emerge at the Hollywood Meet. On May 15, the Early Voting colt He Is No Lie won his debut at 4 ½ furlongs in a time of 51.88 seconds. He Is No Lie is trained by Doug O’Neill.

Early Encore was bred in California by Barton Thoroughbreds. He is the first foal to race out of the Into Mischief mare Lute Player.

“We’ve had good luck at that sale before,” Sadler explained of the purchase. “We had a stakes winner the year before with Liberation, so that sale’s been good to us. This was a good-looking colt and we liked his pedigree.”

Sadler also has another exciting 2-year-old prospect in the barn. Last Wednesday, joining Sadler’s shedrow was a colt from the first crop of Flightline who two days earlier commanded $2.1 million at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale. The still unnamed colt is out of Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Bar of Gold. He has been galloping daily at Santa Anita and is likely to make his first start at Del Mar this summer.

“We’re picking up the bit,” Sadler said.

WORKS: STRONGHOLD, MOTORIOUS, THE PADRE AMONG NOTABLES

Trainer Phil D’Amato worked several of his stakes horses Monday including Stronghold, Motorious and Later Than Planned.

Stronghold, the 2024 GI Santa Anita Derby winner, drilled five furlongs on the main track in 59.8 seconds. A 5-year-old horse by Ghostzapper, Stronghold on April 17 returned from a nearly eight-month layoff at Oaklawn Park and dead-heated for the win in an allowance going 1 1/16 miles.

Multiple graded stakes winner Motorious is back working towards his 8-year-old debut. The gelding was clocked going three furlongs on the training track in 37.0 seconds. Motorious hasn’t started since Dec. 29 when finishing seventh in the GII Joe Herrnandez on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita.

Later Than Planned worked four furlongs on the training track in 48.0 seconds. He most recently won the John Shear for 3-year-olds on the hillside turf course on April 18.

FINISH LINES: The battle for leading jockey at the Hollywood Meet remains tight. Antonio Fresu moved to the lead Sunday when scoring in the second race aboard Bessie Coleman ($3.40) for trainer Steve Miyadi. Fresu has won 19 races at the stand from 118 mounts (16 percent). He is followed by Armando Ayuso (18 wins), Juan Hernandez (17) and Emisael Jaramillo (17)…This weekend’s stakes action includes the GII Santa Margarita for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on Saturday and the GIII Triple Bend going seven furlongs on Sunday. The Santa Margarita card will be drawn later Monday.