At the start of the 2022 summer meet at Del Mar, few people in Southern California had ever heard of jockey Hector I. Berrios. But his brilliant winning ride in the Wickerr Stakes aboard Argentine-bred Irideo for trainer Marcelo Polanco caught the attention of horseplayers and horsemen alike. Going a mile on turf, Berrios allowed Irideo to settle at the back of the pack while saving ground, found room along the rail into the stretch, swung out to split horses with a furlong to run and won by three quarters of a length going away, paying $65 to his backers.
Two weeks after the Wickerr, Berrios struck again, winning the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes aboard Blue Stripe, another product of Argentina's breeding program from the Polanco stable. This one was not as big a surprise, Blue Stripe paying $12.60 as the 5-1 third choice in a field of five. Berrios finished the summer meet with 18 wins from 127 mounts, putting him a surprising fifth in the standings.
For Berrios, a 36-year-old native of Santiago, Chile, the 2022 Clement L. Hirsch was his first graded stakes victory in North America. But it was far from his first big-race triumph. With over 2,500 wins in his native country, including eight victories in Chilean classic races, he was used to getting top mounts. But carrying that resume to the United States didn't translate into immediate success.
Berrios first rode in the U.S. in the spring of 2011, starting out in Florida and moving his tack to Southern California midway into the summer meet at Del Mar, where he won three races from 11 mounts, including the CTT and TOC Stakes aboard Peruvian-bred Private Affair for trainer Ruben Cardenas. After enjoying some success at Santa Anita and in South Florida in 2011-'12, he returned to Chile, riding there five years before returning to Florida in July 2018. He continued to win races at Gulfstream Park, but never got much of an opportunity with top-level horses.
By last summer, Berrios was ready to try California again, teaming up with agent Michael Burns. The numbers confirmed it was the right move. At year's end, Berrios' mounts won 68 races and earned $3,872,506 – by far his best year earnings-wise.
And 2023 has only gotten better.
Berrios has added seven more graded stakes wins to his ledger this year, including last weekend's Grade 1 Bing Crosby aboard California-bred The Chosen Vron and the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes with Irish-bred Gold Phoenix. Those horses keyed riding triples for Berrios on both the July 29 and July 30 programs.
Through the first seven racing days at Del Mar, Berrios is atop the rider standings, tied with the current Southern California leader Juan Hernandez, each with 11 wins. Only one of the 11 wins by Berrios came aboard a betting favorite, compared with four for Hernandez. All but two of his wins were on turf, but his ride in the Bing Crosby showed he can get the job done on dirt as well. His $3,993,330 year-to-date mount earnings have already exceeded last year's total, with a lot of big races yet to come.
He's definitely one to keep an eye on.
By The Numbers
Through the first two weeks of the meet (seven days, 70 races), average field size is 9.7 runners per race (9.0 on dirt, 10.7 on turf). There have been 40 races on dirt and 30 on turf. The Ship & Win program is working, but the racing department deserves credit for putting together excellent, competitive cards so far.
Average parimutuel payoff is $13.61, with a median of $9.80. Not much difference between turf and dirt, with turf average payoff $13.21 and $13.92 on dirt.
The percentage of winning favorites overall is 27.1 percent (30 percent on dirt, 23.3 percent on turf). Larger fields make for fewer winning favorites.
Front-runners have not fared well so far, on dirt or turf.
Of the 40 dirt races, only four winners led at every call. Sixteen winners pressed the pace or were forwardly placed, with 12 racing in midpack, and eight closing from the back end of the field.
Of the 30 turf races, only one horse went wire to wire (and that was in a two-turn race). Six winners pressed the pace or were forwardly placed, 11 were in midpack, and 12 closed from the back.
It's been a pattern in recent years that front-runners on turf are more successful as the meet goes on. Keep that in mind as you handicap the Jimmy Durante grass course.
Two jockeys – the aforementioned Berrios and Umberto Rispoli – have been especially dominating on turf, winning 15 of the 30 races run so far (Berrios nine, Rispoli six).
Among trainers, Phil D'Amato has won seven turf races, with one victory on the main track.
Overall, 38 trainers have won races this summer at Del Mar, with D'Amato's eight victories leading the way. Doug O'Neill and Bob Baffert are tied with six wins apiece, with Peter Miller winning four.
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