juan hernandez | Horse Racing Free Tips

Los Alamitos Summer Thoroughbred Festival Wraps Up

An impressive stakes debut for Uncle Chuck, a successful return to California for Sneaking Out and a two-turn tally for Cezanne highlighted the Summer Thoroughbred Festival at Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif.

The brief seven-day season concluded Sunday.

A son of Uncle Mo and the Unbridled's Song mare Forest Music, Uncle Chuck toyed with three rivals in the Grade 3, $150,000 Los Alamitos Derby July 4 in his first start since a seven-length debut score June 6.

Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert for owners Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Uncle Chuck, who was purchased for $250,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September sale, could make his next start in either the $100,000 Shared Belief Stakes Aug. 1 at Del Mar or the Grade 1, $1 million Travers a week later at Saratoga.

The Los Alamitos Derby win – which was worth 20 points for Uncle Chuck towards a berth in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby – was the fourth in a row for Baffert and his fifth in the seven years the race – formerly the Swaps Stakes when offered at Hollywood Park (1974-2013) – has been run at Los Alamitos. Besides Uncle Chuck, he's also won with Game Winner (2019), Once On Whiskey (2018), West Coast (2017) and Gimme Da Lute (2015).

A 4-year-old daughter of Indian Evening owned by breeders KMN Racing LLC and trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, Sneaking Out scored a 7-1 upset over heavily-favored Bellafina in the $201,000, Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes July 4.

The win was the fifth in 11 starts for the California bred and pushed her earnings to $431,441. It was the second win in the Great Lady M. for Hollendofer, who captured the inaugural running in 2014 with another Cal bred – Doinghardtimeagain for owner-breeder Tommy Town Thoroughbreds.

A 3-year-old son of Curlin purchased for $3.65 million in March, 2019, Cezanne is 2-for-2 for Baffert and owners Michael Tabor, Michael B. Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and co-breeder St. Elias Stable after his win going a mile July 2. A stakes race could be next for the Kentucky Derby prospect.

Baffert topped the trainer standings with four wins, the 11th time he has either led or shared the title at Los Alamitos since thoroughbred racing returned in July, 2014.

Juan Hernandez, the leading jockey at the recently-concluded Golden Gate Fields meet who decided to move to Southern California at the end of last month, and Edwin Maldonado shared the riding title. Both won six races.

The wealth was spread during the two weeks of racing as 43 different trainers and 52 different owner/partnerships won the 57 races offered.

“I've always said some owners and trainers enjoy more success at Los Alamitos than either Santa Anita or Del Mar,'' said F. Jack Liebau, vice president of the Los Alamitos Racing Association. “I think this is important for the overall financial health of Southern California racing. Although some might disagree, I see it as a positive so many different connections were able to win races during these seven days.

“We also ran a pair of graded stakes during the two weeks and saw a couple of serious Kentucky Derby contenders in Uncle Chuck and Cezanne.''

According to Liebau, all sources handle for the meet, which was spectator-less due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was up approximately 25% over comparable dates in 2019.

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Sneaking Out Upsets Bellafina In Great Lady M. At Los Alamitos

Sneaking Out, at 7-1 odds, upset heavily-favored Bellafina in the Grade 2, $200,000 Great Lady M. Stakes at Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif., on Saturday.

Owned by breeder KMN Racing LLC and trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer, Sneaking Out earned her fifth win in her 11th start, but it was the first in a graded event for the 4-year-old California bred daughter of Indian Evening.

Positioned outside pacesetter Artistic Diva by jockey Martin Garcia, Sneaking Out took over inside the final quarter of a mile and prevailed by three-quarters of a length over Bellafina, the 1-2 choice who was seeking her eighth graded win.

Out of the Kitten's Joy mare Maddie's Odyssey, Sneaking Out completed the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14.62 and paid $16.40 and $4.40 as the fourth choice in the field of seven. There was no show wagering.

Bellafina returned $2.20 while finishing two lengths clear of 16-1 shot Amuse. Artistic Diva, Hang a Star, the 4-1 second choice, Zusha and Donut Girl completed the order of finish.

The win was the second in the Great Lady M. for Hollendorfer, who captured the inaugural running in 2014 with another Cal bred – Doinghardtimeagain for owner-breeder Tommy Town Thoroughbreds.

“That was nice,'' said Hollendorfer. “She was laying outside and she got a little breather around the turn and when (Garcia) asked her to go she had a lot left. She finished up really well.

“I thought she could be the speed if she wanted, but we learned at Oaklawn Park that she didn't have to have the lead. She ran a huge race there (April 25) where she got passed, then came back on and won the race.''

Sneaking Out, who has been worse than second only twice, increased her earnings to $431,441.

Racing resumes Sunday at Los Alamitos. Post time for the final day of the Summer Thoroughbred Festival is 1 p.m.

Through six days, Juan Hernandez tops the jockey standings with six wins, one more than Edwin Maldonado, who doubled Saturday. Bob Baffert leads the trainers with four victories.

Apprentice Alexis Centeno, a native of Puerto Rico, earned his first U.S. win with Love Your Life in Saturday's second race.

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Back To Two Turns, Galilean Wins Soi Phet Stakes At Los Alamitos

A stretch to two turns and a return to Los Alamitos in Cypress, Calif., proved the winning moves for Galilean as he rolled to an easy victory in the $101,500 Soi Phet Stakes on Saturday.

Trained by John Sadler for West Point Thoroughbreds, Denise Barker, William Sandbrook, John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor and Derrick Smith, the 4-year-old stalked the early pace from his outside post, then powered away in the final quarter of a mile to win by four lengths under jockey Juan Hernandez.

The score in 1:35.49 for the mile was the first for the son of Uncle Mo and the El Prado mare Fresia since he captured the California Cup Derby Feb. 18, 2019, at Santa Anita when trained by Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer.

He's now 4-for-9 lifetime with earnings of $442,948. Three of those victories – in as many starts – have come at Los Alamitos. Galilean captured the Barretts Juvenile in his career debut here Sept. 22, 2018, then won the King Glorious – at the Soi Phet distance – by nine lengths nearly three months later.

The even-money favorite against seven other horses bred or sired in California, Galilean paid $4, $3.40 and $3.

Grinning Tiger, fresh off a 92-1 upset in the Crystal Water Stakes on turf three weeks earlier, finished a head in front of 18-1 outsider Brandothebartender to complete the exacta. Dismissed at 12-1 Saturday, Grinning Tiger returned $8.20 and $5 while the show price on Brandothebartender was $4.60.

Completing the order of finish were Loud Mouth, King Abner, the 5-2 second choice, pacesetter Take the One O One, Lymebyrd and Three Ay Em.

“I talked to (Sadler) this morning and he told me to try and sit just outside the speed,'' said Hernandez after his first Los Alamitos stakes success. “This horse relaxed perfectly and I wanted to wait until the stretch to make a move and he exploded when I asked him. He was lugging in some, but I corrected him and he was very strong at the end.''

Alex Bisono, an assistant to Sadler, thinks the stretch to eight furlongs was crucial for Galilean.

“I definitely think he's a better two turn horse,'' he said. “He likes this track. He was comfortable the whole way. I wish he had run a little bit straighter down the stretch, but he didn't bother anybody because he was clear.''

Racing resumes Sunday at Los Alamitos. Post time is 1 p.m.

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Golden Gate’s Perennial Leading Rider Juan Hernandez Shifting Tack To Southern California

News broke Wednesday morning that perennial Golden Gate Fields leading rider Juan Hernandez will be shifting his tack full-time to Southern California beginning with the second week of the upcoming Los Alamitos Thoroughbred meeting, which spans July 3, 4, and 5.

Hernandez, 28, will be joining forces with longtime agent Craig O'Bryan, who has been idle since Tyler Baze opted for the Oaklawn/Kentucky circuit over a year ago.

“I got a call, asking if I'd be interested in representing Juan,” said O'Bryan. “I said, 'When can he get down here?' The phone is already ringing and I truly believe our business will continue to grow as people see, first-hand, just how good he is.”

How good is Juan Hernandez?

With 135 wins from 429 mounts, he led his nearest competitor by some 77 wins at the conclusion of Golden Gate Fields' 72-day Winter/Spring Meeting this past Sunday, winning at a 31 percent clip. Many racing insiders have been wondering when he was going to make the move to So Cal for some time now, particularly in view of the tremendous success former No Cal rider Abel Cedillo has enjoyed over the past year riding full-time at Santa Anita, Del Mar and Los Alamitos.

“I'm really excited to come and ride with that colony down there,” said Hernandez by phone from Northern California on Thursday. “My wife's family lives in Ontario, near Santa Anita, so our kids will be spending the summer with them. Craig came very highly recommended. I think it's a big plus to go with him because he's had many top riders and he knows everyone down there, he knows the business.”

A 28-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico, Hernandez, who is married, Melissa, and has two boys aged five and two, had 1,882 wins from 8,726 career mounts through Sunday and with just Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Luis Saez in front of him, he is currently America's third winningest jockey in 2020, with more than 125 wins through this past weekend.

O'Bryan, who enjoyed an eight-year run with Baze, is a second generation agent, following in the footsteps of his legendary father George “Black Heart” O'Bryan.

With a past client list that reads like a Who's Who of Turfdom, Craig O'Bryan has represented Hall of Famers Eddie Delahoussaye (for an incredible eight-year run that included back to back Kentucky Derby victories with Gato del Sol in 1982 and Sunny's Halo in 1983), Alex Solis and Gary Stevens (2013 Breeders' Cup Classic with Mucho Macho Man and 2013 Distaff with Beholder), as well as David Flores, Corey Nakatani, Jose Valdivia, Jr., Aaron Gryder and Baze.

“I've been doing this for 48 years, since 1972,” said O'Bryan. “The main thing now, is that people need to know that Juan is coming here permanently, this isn't just for the summer. For me personally, it's a great opportunity and it's great to be back in action.”

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