luis mendez | Horse Racing Free Tips

Trio Of Stakes Wins Net Juan J. Hernandez Jockey Of The Week Title

Juan J. Hernandez made the most of closing weekend at Santa Anita winning three stakes races leading to Jockey of the Week honors for June 14 through June 20. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

On Saturday, trainer Richard Mandella gave a leg up to regular rider Hernandez on Kanderel in the Siren Lure Stakes at 6-1/2 furlongs on the turf. Breaking from the rail in the field of seven, Kanderel was six lengths off dueling leaders Texas Wedge and Tilted Towers heading to the far turn. With a furlong to run, Kanderel rallied from last to win in 1:14.98.

“I broke from the inside, number one post and Mr. Mandella told me to ride the horse like the last time,” said Hernandez. “My horse, he loves to come from behind. I was saving ground and at the (top of) the stretch, I decided to go outside and make my run.”

On Sunday, closing day at Santa Anita, Hernandez rode heavy favorite Big City Lights for trainer Luis Mendez in the Fasig-Tipton Futurity winning gate-to-wire by 7-1/4 lengths while getting five furlongs in :58.20.

“This horse is improving a lot,” said Hernandez. “Last time he broke a little slow, but today he broke really sharp and I was clear in front, probably three or four jumps after. When I asked him at the quarter pole, he took off again, he's a nice horse.”

Hernandez continued his winning ways by riding Warren's Showtime for trainer Craig Lewis in the Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes. Off as the favorite, Hernandez and Warren's Showtime were next to last travelling on the backside. At the top of the stretch, Hernandez took Warren's Showtime four wide to win the one mile turf event by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:34.29.

“We've been knocking on the door the last few times, we were third, second, just missing the winner, but today I think the pace was the key,” said Hernandez who registered his third win of the day. “That was a good pace because she was flying at the end.”

Weekly stats for Hernandez were 24-7-3-2 for 29 percent win rate, 50 percent in-the-money and total purses of $369,886 to lead all jockeys.

Hernandez out-polled Tyler Baze who won two stakes races, Alex Bizer who led all jockeys with 10 wins, Joel Rosario with a graded stakes win and Tim Thornton with a 33 percent strike rate from 24 mounts.

Hernandez finished second in the winter/spring jockey standings with 92 wins and eight graded stakes.

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Big City Lights Shines In Fasig-Tipton Futurity At Santa Anita

Although much the best, heavily favored Big City Lights had to survive a lengthy steward's inquiry in winning Sunday's $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Futurity at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Trained by Luis Mendez and ridden by Juan Hernandez, Big City Lights won gate to wire by 7 ¼ lengths while getting five furlongs in 58.20.

As expected, Big City Lights was in front at once from his number three post position, but 7-2 second choice Street Art, who broke from the rail with Kent Desormeaux, was a close second by about three-quarters of a length. Heading to the half-mile pole, Desormeaux took up sharply, losing all position as things got tight.

With Big City Lights, a California-bred colt by Mr. Big, completely dominant on the front end, Street Art checked in fourth, beaten 15 ¼ lengths.

As soon as the field passed under the wire, the steward's inquiry sign went up and Desormeaux was very animated in his telephone conversation with stewards Ron Church, Luis Jauregui, and Kim Sawyer.

After a thorough review, the stewards ruled that Street Art attempted to enter an opening without sufficient clearance and they let the original order of finish stand.

A rousing 12 ½ length first-out maiden winner versus statebreds going 4 ½ furlongs on May 2, Big City Lights was off at 1-5 in a field of five juveniles and paid $2.40, $2.10, and $2.10.

“I broke on top and (Street Art) didn't break,” said Hernandez. “Before I came over, I checked and didn't see anybody. It looked like he was trying to get in, and there was room, but if you look at the replay, it looked like his horse got spooked and didn't want to come through. When I asked him at the quarter pole, he took off again, he's a nice horse.”

Owned by William Peeples, Big City Lights, who is out of the Exchange Rate mare Champagne Exchange and sold for $22,000 at the Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearling Sale, picked up $60,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $96,600.

“It feels good,” said Mendez, whose horses finished one-two-three. “I've never done that before and especially in a stake. I want to say thank you to the owner, Bill Peeples, and everyone on the team.”

Bochombo, who was a non-threatening second into and around the far turn, was off at 11-1 and paid $3.80 and $2.80. Ridden by Abel Cedillo, he finished second, 5 ¼ lengths in front of his stablemate Buehler's Day Off.

Ridden by Edwin Maldonado, Buehler's Day Off was off at 15-1 and paid $3.40 to show while finishing 2 ¾ lengths clear of Street Art. Fractions on the race were :21.96 and :45.74.

Jockey Juan Hernandez was happy with Big City Light's performance. “This horse is improving a lot. Last time he broke a little slow, but today he broke really sharp and I was clear in front, probably three or four jumps after. Something happened back there but I was clear all the time. I just let my horse run, because that's what he wants.”

Trainer Luis Mendez was thrilled about having the race's top three finishers. “It feels good. One-two-three! I've never done that before and especially in a stake. I want to say thank you to the owner, Bill Peeples, and everyone on the team. Thanks a lot, Mr. John Brocklebank, for bringing these babies to the barn. I really don't know what else to say other than I'm really happy.”

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Del Mar Futurity Winner Dr. Schivel Victorious In Comeback At Santa Anita

Idle since winning the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 7, Dr. Schivel overcame significant adversity from his rail post position to win Friday's $65,000 allowance feature by a neck at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Sold privately prior to the Futurity and running for the first time for trainer Mark Glatt, Dr. Schivel was ridden with confidence by Flavien Prat while getting six furlongs over a track that hadn't been playing overly fast earlier in 1:09.46.

Breaking from the rail, Dr. Schivel was an attentive third, about two lengths off pacesetter Canadian Pride, with three furlongs to run and with the Bob Baffert-trained Speed Pass keeping him hemmed in behind the leader, Prat finally got loose outside of Canadian Pride inside the furlong marker and gradually overhauled him in a thoroughly professional effort.

Off as the 6-5 favorite in a field of five 3-year-olds and up, Dr. Schivel, a Kentucky-bred colt by Violence, paid $4.40, $2.60 and $2.20.

“He broke sharp and then a couple steps outta there, he kinda stutter stepped a little and I think he lost a little bit of early position,” said Glatt. “Those other horses pretty much had him down in a spot there where he was in a lot of trouble, but the most impressive thing was, when Flavien did get him off the inside, and in a place where he could let him run, he said 'You're not beating me.' He came and got that horse.

“A lot of horses at that point, might have said 'Hey, UNCLE for today,' but he just pinned his ears and came after that horse and got him. We've actually been hoping he'd come back and run a race like this in his comeback race. There's a couple races for 3-year-olds at Saratoga in August and we've been planning on getting him back there. That kinda keeps us from stretching him out. There will be a time to stretch him out, but if we can take a shot at a Grade 1 at the end of August for 3-year-olds, that's gonna be right up his alley.”

Owned by Red Baron's Barn, LLC, Rancho Temescal, LLC, William A. Branch and William Dean Reeves, Dr. Schivel is out of the Mining for Money mare Lil Nugget. Originally trained by Luis Mendez, Dr. Schivel improved his overall mark to 5-3-1-1 and with Friday's winning purse of $39,000, increased his earnings to $236,000.

Trained by Peter Eurton, Canadian Pride ran too good to lose, as he did all the early work and finished 5 ¼ lengths in front of Speed Pass. Off at 9-5 with Abel Cedillo, Canadian Pride paid $2.80 and $2.20.

In hot pursuit of the runner-up for five eighths of a mile, Speed Pass, who was off at 7-2 with Edwin Maldonado, paid $2.60 to show while finishing a half length better than Fight On.

Fractions on the race were 22.27, 44.98 and 56.98.

First post time on Saturday, the penultimate day of Santa Anita's 78-day Winter/Spring Meeting is at 1 p.m. PT. Four stakes will highlight an 11-race program.

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Dr. Schivel Returns a Winner at Santa Anita

4th-Santa Anita, $65,000, Alw (NW2$X), Opt. Clm ($62,500), 6-18, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:09.46, ft, neck.
DR. SCHIVEL (c, 3, Violence–Lil Nugget, by Mining for Money), winner of the GI Runhappy Del Mar Futurity when last seen at the races last September, made a promising return to action Friday afternoon, taking a six-furlong Santa Anita allowance in good style. Off at odds of 6-5 after touching 4-5 in the latter stages of the wagering, the bay colt was away from the one hole without incident and was settled in third position by Flavien Prat, as Canadian Pride (Creative Cause) set the pace inside of Speed Pass (Bodemeister). Going nicely in hand passing the quarter pole, Dr. Schivel was angled off the fence and into the two path in upper stretch, engaged the front-runner at the furlong grounds and fought his way past in the dying strides in an effort that will likely springboard him back into stakes company in the not-too-distant future. “We've actually been hoping he'd come back and run a race like this in his comeback race. There's a couple races for 3-year-olds at Saratoga in August and we've been planning on getting him back there,” the winning trainer said, referring to the GII Amsterdam S. Aug. 1 and the GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. Aug. 28. “That kinda keeps us from stretching him out. There will be a time to stretch him out, but if we can take a shot at a Grade I at the end of August for 3-year-olds, that's gonna be right up his alley.”Formerly trained by Luis Mendez for his breeders William Branch and Arnold Hill, Dr. Schivel soundly defeated heavily favored Spielberg (Union Rags) by 5 3/4 lengths at Del Mar last August. Red Baron's Barn, Rancho Temescal and Dean Reeves, but not Hill, were part of the new ownership group when Dr. Schivel validated 7-5 favoritism in the Futurity, but he was put away for the season thereafter and was having his first start for the Mark Glatt barn Friday afternoon. Lil Nugget, a half-sister to GISW Ultra Blend (Richly Blended), is the dam of Dr. Schivel's 2-year-old half-brother Barsini Red (Midshipman), third in a Cal-bred maiden allowance May 30 for Branch and Hill and Mendez. Sales history:$37,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEEJAN. Lifetime Record: GISW, 5-3-1-1, $236,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Red Baron's Barn LLC, Rancho Temescal LLC, William A Branch & William Dean Reeves; B-William A Branch & Arnold R Hill (KY); T-Mark Glatt.

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