Van Dyke Star Shining Bright in Southern California

Drayden Van Dyke winning the CTT and Thoroughbred Owners of California Handicap on Ann of the Dance. It was the rider's first stakes victory. (Photo by Benoit Photography.)
Drayden Van Dyke has less than 1,300 starts under his belt, but the talented jockey is quickly rising to the upper level of the craft.
After taking out his jockey’s license in 2013 and winning his first race on Nov. 21, 2013, Van Dyke rode 192 winners in 2014 to earn outstanding apprentice jockey honors at the Eclipse Awards. That award came at the end of a season that saw him become the first apprentice jockey to win a riding title in Southern California since J.C. Gonzalez at Fairplex Park in 1998. Van Dyke edged Joe Talamo for the title at Los Alamitos by four victories.
Van Dyke made sure he stayed in the Los Alamitos history books a few months later when he won the jockey’s title at the track’s inaugural fall meet. The then-19-year-old earned his title by winning 11 races, one more than the runner-up.
Van Dyke is based in California but the apprentice’s reach was felt across the country. His first graded stakes victory came in September, when he won the Grade 3 Pucker Up Stakes at Arlington Park on Sistas Stroll for trainer Tom Proctor, one of Van Dyke’s biggest supporters.
The Pucker Up victory was one of three stakes victories for Van Dyke in the year.
But 2014 wasn’t all smooth sailing for Van Dyke.
He suffered falls on consecutive days early in the Del Mar summer meet, but that was nothing compared with the pain he had to ride through in mid-August. He received news that his father, Seth Van Dyke, had died during the meet. But with help from those around him, he continued to ride at the Del Mar meet, even scoring his first stakes victory a little more than 10 days later.
During the acceptance speech for his Eclipse Award, Van Dyke honored both his father and other friends he had lost during the year.
“I want to dedicate this award to three special people that we lost this year. First is Juan Saez, Kyle Nolan, and my father Seth Van Dyke. Thank you,” Van Dyke said.
Van Dyke lost his apprentice status on Jan. 23 but the loss of that status didn't seem to hurt him as he won an allowance race the same day on Ernest Shackleton for trainer Doug O'Neill. O'Neill was extremely complementary of the jockey after the win.
"As far as Drayden is concerned, I really think he’s a lot like [Bill] Shoemaker," O'Neill said. "He’s small, light and he’s very quiet, on the horses he rides and with the people (he deals with). I sure wish him the best.”
DRAYDEN VAN DYKE SLIDESHOW