So what does Del Mar's leading rider, Juan Hernandez do on his day off?
He plays golf.
Earlier this week, Hernandez and a group of fellow jockeys that included Ricky Gonzalez, Diego Herrera and Abel Cedillo hit the links at Black Gold Golf Club in Yorba Linda. How did he do?
“Not very good this time,” Hernandez admits.
It may be one of the few times his colleagues get the best of him. Hernandez has won three of the last four riding titles at Del Mar and in the one he lost to Flavien Prat last fall, he finished second.
Hernandez went up to Santa Anita following Del Mar's last summer meet and captured his third straight riding title there. Always modest about achievements, the 31-year old rider attributes much of his success to the opportunities given to him by the owners and trainers, good horses and getting lucky.
“I'm really excited to be back over there,” Hernandez says of Del Mar. “I had a really nice season this summer so I'm excited to get back and do well again.
“I like the track,” he continues. “It's really nice. Both surfaces, dirt and turf. But what I like most is the people there. We always have a really nice crowd at the races. People at Del Mar love racing and they support us a lot so I'm really excited to get back there and win races again.”
Like many of the riders, Hernandez will commute down to Del Mar for the races this fall which means he's separated from the family on the weekends.
“I go by myself,” he says. “They have to stay here (in Glendora, just down the 210 from Santa Anita) because my kids have school. So, I get to Del Mar on Fridays, get a hotel and then stay there Friday and Saturdays and come back on Sundays. I have to work horses at Santa Anita on Mondays.”
Hernandez has never shied away from hard work dating back to his youth in his hometown of Vera Cruz, Mexico. His father got him started riding and from their he learned his craft from the top riders around him.
“When I was starting back in Mexico City there were a couple of really good riders,” he says. “They were in my corner. We had the same valet. They taught me a lot. I always asked them a lot of questions and when I did something wrong they always corrected me and gave me a lot of good tips.
“When I moved my tack here I always watched the racing from all over the USA,” Hernandez continues, “and I watched the good riders. The one guy I watched a lot was David Flores. I liked his style. He never moved too much in the saddle. He didn't try to do much. He was just really smooth all the time so I was trying to copy him when I got here. I like to learn and improve all the time. I think I'm growing a lot and you can never stop learning.”
Hernandez' chief rival, Flavien Prat, will be back for the Bing Crosby Season as well as Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez, making the Del Mar jockey colony a formidable group.
“It's always tough here,” Hernandez notes. “I like to challenge myself. I like the competition. I'm really excited to ride with the new guys who are coming. Just looking to be competitive. Hopefully, we can get a good start and have a good meet.”
Hernandez is fresh off of his fourth Breeders' Cup. He had nine mounts. His best finish was runner-up in the Juvenile aboard Muth.
“I had a lot of fun,” he says. “I rode some good horses. I got one good second. I was hoping to win a Breeders' Cup (race) this year. I have no excuses for my horses, they all ran really good. They gave me everything that they had and I had fun and I got more experience.”
More experience generally leads to improved performance. Just what the jockeys at Del Mar don't need to hear about Juan Hernandez.
The post Del Mar Leading Rider Juan Hernandez Hopes To Stay On Top This Fall appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
