Vazquez, Miller Top Santa Anita Autumn Meet Standings

Ramon Vazquez, a 38-year-old native of Puerto Rico, cemented his status as leading rider at Santa Anita's Autumn Meet by winning two races early on Sunday's 10-race program. He finished with 25 victories through the 18-day stand, five better than runner-up Juan Hernandez. It was the first-ever Santa Anita title for Vazquez, who became a regular there this past March after being a mainstay at Prairie Meadows and Oaklawn Park.

Miller, a 56-year-old native Angelino who bases primarily out of San Luis Rey Downs Training Center, collected his fourth Autumn Meet title and his sixth overall Santa Anita training crown.

"I'm grateful to be here and to the owners and trainers who have supported me," said Vazquez. "This is big for me because not everybody who comes to ride at Santa Anita has made it (leading jockey) in such a short time. I'm so blessed and I thank everybody who has supported me."

Vazquez, who is represented by agent Bill Castle, had four stakes wins, two back of Umberto Rispoli.

"We're very excited to win another title at Santa Anita," said Miller. "It's always a great accomplishment to win there. It's a team effort. The people in the barn did a great job all meet, and really special thanks to my owners for being just the best, the most loyal group of owners a guy could ask for.

"Looking ahead, we'll have a small string at Oaklawn, but our main focus will be at Santa Anita."

Longtime California owner/breeder Jed Cohen, along with sons Tim and Mark, again led all owners by races won. Their Red Baron's Barn and Rancho Temescal, LLC tallied five wins, four seconds, and three thirds.

Longtime breeders in California, the Cohens are now focused on recruiting racing prospects in Europe and throughout North America. They have horses in training with Mark Glatt and Jeff Mullins at Santa Anita. 

Their stable star is the long-striding Packs a Wahlop , a 2 3/4-length winner of the Grade III, $200,000 Zuma Beach Stakes on Oct. 9, getting one mile on turf in 1:34.07. Trained by Mullins and ridden by Mike Smith, Packs a Wahlop also took the Del Mar Juvenile Turf at a mile on Sept. 11. He was eighth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Keeneland Nov. 4 and is back at Santa Anita. 

Purchased for $270,000 this past April at the Ocala Breeders' Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in Training, Packs a Wahlop, a gray colt by Creative Cause  out of the City Zip mare City by the Bay , has three wins from five starts and earnings of $240,000. 

Proud owners of Rancho Temescal, a sprawling, 6,000-acre farm with huge natural grass paddocks fed by creeks and waterways in Ventura County, the Cohens were also leading owners with 22 wins at Santa Anita's 76-day Winter/Spring Meeting, which concluded June 19.