Breeders’ Cup Presents Connections: Hernandez Dropped The Mic On ‘Em In New York

Though he's won over 2,200 races since beginning his career in 2006, jockey Colby Hernandez just celebrated his first graded stakes victory last Thursday at Belmont Park. The 31-year-old Louisiana native celebrated the milestone when he piloted Change of Control to a 1 ½-length victory in the Grade 3 Intercontinental Stakes for trainer Michelle Lovell.

“I'd never been to Belmont, even visiting or anything, so when I first walked out on the track I was just like, 'Wow, how do you even ride this?'” Hernandez recalled. “After I got on the horse I just settled right down. In the race all I kept thinking was just be patient, just be patient, just make your move at the right time.”

Initially blocked behind horses at the head of the lane, Hernandez found a seam and sent Change of Control on through. Then, just as he was switching his stick to his left hand to send the mare home, Hernandez accidentally dropped the whip.

“I just thought, 'Oh no,'” he said, laughing good-naturedly. “Then I moved my hands on her and she went on, and I was like, 'Okay, we're safe, we're okay now.'”

It may have been an embarrassing moment for Hernandez, Lovell explained, even though he won the race. She watched the race on television from her base in Louisville.

“Watching it, we were just so excited about the win,” Lovell said. “Then I said, 'I don't think he ever hit her.' We watched the replay, and he drew it to his left hand and then crossed the wire without it.

“After the race, I called him and thanked him for going up to ride her. I told him losing the whip was his 'mic drop' moment, and he laughed so loud, just belly-laughed. Thank goodness he wasn't embarrassed, but he has the best attitude and he's such a genuine person.”

Hernandez is also based in Kentucky now, after moving his family to Louisville last summer. He'd previously ridden the Louisiana circuit, including at the Fair Grounds, Evangeline, Delta Downs, and Louisiana Downs, for the majority of his career, earning multiple leading rider titles.  

“I guess it was comfort, because I would do really well there every year, year-in and year-out,” Heranndez said.

Last spring, however, the pandemic's effect on racing in that state forced the young rider's hand.

The Fair Grounds ended its race meet early, and Evangeline was supposed to be the next track to open up, but management continued to delay the decision. Hernandez' older brother, Breeders' Cup Classic and Eclipse Award-winning jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr., encouraged him to come to Kentucky as Churchill Downs was preparing to open for live racing.

“I stayed in an Air BnB in Kentucky, and my wife and kids came up to visit me, and we just liked it here,” Hernandez explained. “We put our house in Louisiana on the market after a month.”

Married to his long-time sweetheart Treva for three years, Hernandez has two children aged six and seven. Both quickly settled into life in Kentucky, although they were frustrated about the lack of things to do during the earliest days of the pandemic.

The kids went to school online, and Hernandez made time to take them to the local park on dark days, but they couldn't attend races. They were able to play with their older cousins, riding horses at the elder Hernandez brother's farm, and made new friends when they moved into a subdivision in September.

His son is especially interested in racing, Hernandez said, reminding him of his own childhood attending the races on weekends and any day there wasn't school in Louisiana. The Hernandez brothers' father, Brian Hernandez Sr., was a jockey for many years, and both Hernandez brothers began galloping Thoroughbreds at a training center when they turned 12 years old.

Colby Hernandez was still in high school when his big brother moved to Kentucky and won an Eclipse Award as leading apprentice jockey in 2004. He thought about following in his brother's footsteps, and did for a short time after acquiring his own jockey's license in 2006, but Colby found himself feeling homesick and went back to Louisiana.

He established a solid business in the state, riding multiple stakes winners, most notably a talented Louisiana-bred mare named Pacific Pink trained by Eddie Johnston. The 2012 daughter of Private Vow earned over $730,000 and won eight restricted stakes over her career, forever endearing herself to Hernandez.

“She had a running style like Zenyatta, you just take her back and make one run,” Hernandez said. “She was very easy to get along with, does whatever you ask her, never gives you any trouble, always gave me everything every time I asked her. She was a lot like Change of Control that way.”

Hernandez began riding horses for Lovell at the Fair Grounds several years ago, and picked up the mount on Change of Control there at the New Orleans in 2019. He also began to ride a Lovell-trained gelding named Just Might, who would go on to provide Hernandez with his first Breeders' Cup mount in last fall's Turf Sprint (finishing ninth). 

Lovell was ecstatic when Hernandez made the choice to move up to Kentucky last year, and he's maintained the mount on both of her top horses. In fact, just two days after winning his first graded stakes with Change of Control in New York, Hernandez was back in the winner's circle at Churchill Downs after winning the listed Mighty Beau Stakes with Just Might.

“He's a hard worker, he's always got a great attitude, he never says 'no' when I need him to work one, and I just think he deserves all the opportunities he gets,” Lovell said. “He's just a very natural rider, and he's got the talent to do well here.”

“She's given me a bunch of firsts, and I'm very grateful,” Hernandez said. “I started out better than I thought up here, and when I came back after the winter, business had built up even more. It's home now.”

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Change Of Control Splits Horses To Capture Intercontinental

Struggling to find racing room around the far turn, Colby Hernandez managed to guide 7-5 second choice Change of Control to a small seam between horses and was rewarded with a drawing away victory in Thursday's Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental Stakes at Belmont Park. It was the first graded stakes win for the 5-year-old daughter of Fed Biz, trained by Michelle Lovell on behalf of owner Perry Harrison.

Change of Control ran seven furlongs over the “good” turf in 1:22.07, defeating Piedi Bianchi by 1 1/2 lengths on the wire.

“This mare has been incredibly special to us,” Lovell said. “She tries so hard every time she runs and has been in top form this year. Colby [Hernandez] got her into a great spot early and she was able to relax behind the pace. Into the stretch, it looked like Colby had a ton of horse and when she was able to get outside, she really showed her stride late. This is a great win for everyone involved.”

I'llhandalthecash was quickest out of the gate to lead by just over a length down the backstretch, with Piedi Bianchi hovering on the outside in second through fractions of :23.64 and :49.40. Change of Control stayed on the inside in third, while favored Publication broke a step slowly and was last early.

Change of Control was shuffled back a bit around the far turn, behind a three-way battle for the lead, but the eventual winner was loaded for bear and hunting room to run.

Hernandez finally saw the seam between rivals and swung Change of Control toward the outside. Change of Control responded gamely and dug in toward the wire, pulling away to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Piedi Bianchi. Madeline Must ran third over I'llhandalthecash, with 6-5 favorite Publication finishing fifth and last.

“When she broke, she broke sharply,” said Hernandez, who was celebrating his first graded stakes win. “She left there well, and I had to get on her a little bit. After that, I was just able to sit on her. All I needed was daylight and she kicked on.”

Bred in Kentucky by John O' Meara, Change of Control is out of the stakes-placed Quiet American mare America's Blossom. A $95,000 yearling at OBS, Change of Control has accumulated a record of 7-6-5 from 27 starts with earnings of over $550,000.

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Brown Hopes To Continue Intercontinental Dominance With Regal Glory, Publication

Four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown knows how to go the distance in the Grade 3, $200,000 Intercontinental, having saddled three of its seven winners, including the first four home last year. On Thursday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., he returns with a potent pair in the seven-furlong turf test for fillies and mares, including last year's runner-up, Regal Glory, and an intriguing upstart, Publication.

The eighth running of the Intercontinental is one of three stakes on Thursday's nine-race card on Opening Day of the three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which concludes Saturday with a loaded nine-race card featuring eight Grade 1s, headlined by the 153rd Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets that concludes the Triple Crown series.

Peter Brant's Regal Glory parlayed last year's Intercontinental to a fourth-place finish in the G1 Longines Just a Game before capping her season with a gritty victory in the G3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes—both over one mile. Shortening to seven panels on the Widener course may be a welcome change for the 5-year-old chestnut daughter of Animal Kingdom, as she is 2-for-3 in sprints, with her lone loss being last year's Intercontinental.

Additionally, the likelihood of some give in the ground on Thursday will be advantageous, as six of her seven wins [from 12 starts] were over wet turf, including Aqueduct's Plenty of Grace on April 11.

“Regal Glory is doing super and she knows this race well,” Brown said. “With the forecast the way it is, and as you can see in her past performances, she handles soft ground very well. It could end up working out for her.”

Juddmonte's Publication is a lightly raced blueblood by Tapit out of Filimbi, a G2-winning daughter of Kentucky Oaks winner Flute who placed in four G1 races, including the Just a Game. The Intercontinental will be the 4-year-old's fourth career start, but first without a layoff, as she was an impressive allowance winner on April 24 at Aqueduct. Last July, she broke her maiden over this course and distance.

“We've thought a lot of Publication since the beginning,” Brown said. “Unfortunately, she's had a lot of interruptions in her development, but she's doing really well right now. She's a fiery filly with a lot of Tapit in her in a good way and is very forward in her training.

“She's all racehorse and every time she's there for you in her work,” he added. “I've been really looking forward to getting her into stakes races, but unfortunately because of some minor setbacks, I haven't been able to do it. This is the perfect opportunity at this distance. I don't know about the ground and don't yet have a feel for that with her. It looks like it's going to have some moisture and there's more rain in the forecast. She's out of a wonderful family and I've had a couple out of Filimbi that I like, including a 3-year-old colt.”

Regal Glory drew post 8 and will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, while Publication will have the services of Hall of Famer Javier Castellano from the rail.

Shipping in for the capable Florida-based barn of Saffie Joseph Jr. is Joseph M. Imbesi's Sweet Bye and Bye. The 6-year-old daughter of Sky Mesa is seeking her ninth career victory and exiting a strong win in Gulfstream Park's listed Sand Springs on March 27. An allowance winner over this course when in the care of Tony Dutrow last August, she makes her third start for Joseph and will break from post 2 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

“She's a grand mare,” Joseph said. “She came to us with a proven resume. She ran two races for us already. Her first race she ran second with a credible effort and the second race [Sand Springs] she won well. I thought she improved a bit last out and ran close to her top numbers that day. I feel like she's sitting on a good race.

“We were in-between two minds of going to the Intercontinental or the Just a Game, but I think we're going into the Intercontinental as the first or second choice,” Joseph continued. “It would be a really nice race to win.”

Horseshoe Racing's Michelle Lovell-trained Change of Control, winner of Keeneland's Listed Giant's Causeway on April 10 and a strong runner-up 19 days later in Churchill Downs' Unbridled Sidney Stakes, must also be respected when she breaks from post 4 under Colby Hernandez.

Mike Maker-trained stakes winner I'llhandalthecash [post 7, Luis Saez] and local stakes alumni Madeleine Must [post 5, Joel Rosario] and Piedi Bianchi [post 6, Manny Franco] have also been entered. Last-out dirt allowance winners Subsidiary and Aunt Kat have been entered for the main-track-only.

The Intercontinental, slated as Race 6, is one of two graded stakes—along with the G3, $200,000 Wonder Again on Thursday's nine-race card. First post is 3:05 p.m. on the card that also features the $150,000 Astoria, a 5 1/2-furlong sprint for juvenile fillies on Big Sandy.

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Mischevious Alex, Drain The Clock Drill For Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Engagements

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. breezed Mischevious Alex and Drain the Clock Sunday at Florida's Gulfstream Park in preparation for starts at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival this coming week at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Cash is King and LC Racing's Mischevious Alex worked a half-mile in company in 48.72 seconds on the fast main track in his final breeze for Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap.

Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig's Drain the Clock also worked a half-mile in company in 48.68.

Joseph said the breeze was easier by design for both after working the two talented colts head-and-head on May 23 through five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.81 on the Gulfstream main track.

“We didn't want either of them to overdo anything so we paired them with lesser workmates today,” said Joseph. “The last time they worked together they went head and head the whole way.”

Joseph said Mischevious Alex is coming into the Met Mile, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, in top form following his impressive score in the G1 Carter Handicap on April 3 at the Big A that garnered a career-best 109 Beyer.

“They caught him in 48 and change and he got the last quarter in 23 and 1, so it went well,” said Joseph. “He's in good form. We're hoping he can run a race as good as last time. If he does, I think we're going over there with a good chance.”

Drain the Clock, who has won 5-of-7 starts, is targeting the G1, $400,000 Woody Stephens presented by Nassau Country Industrial Development Agency, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores.

Joseph said the Maclean's Music chestnut, who matched a career-best 86 Beyer last out winning the Grade 3 Bay Shore on April 3 at the Big A, is in good order.

“He's plenty fit,” said Joseph. “He looked good working and he is coming into the race in good form at a distance that he's been successful. He'll have to run his career best, but we feel like he's sitting on his career best.”

Joseph will also be represented at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival by Sweet Bye and Bye in Thursday's G3, $200,000 Intercontinental, a seven-furlong Widener turf sprint for older fillies and mares; and by Queen Nekia in the G1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps at 1 1/16-miles on Big Sandy for older fillies and mares which offers a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” berth to the Distaff.

Joseph said the colts will fly to New York on Wednesday, while the mares will begin their journey by van later today.

The Florida-based conditioner, who has stalls at Belmont for the first time, has three wins and three thirds from nine starts at the Belmont spring/summer meet. He praised assistant trainer Sabine Langvad for the strong early showing.

“Our horses have been in good form and running good. Even the ones that didn't win have performed credibly,” said Joseph, Jr. “Sabine works hard and has a lot of passion for what she does.”

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