Santa Anita's Meet Closes: Hernandez, D'Amato on Top

Santa Anita's 43-day Classic Meet, which began Dec. 26, drew to a close April 9, with Juan Hernandez atop the jockey's division, Phil D'Amato bagging yet another training title, and Tim and Mark Cohen's Rancho Temescal and Red Baron's Barn leading all owners. 

For Hernandez, a 31-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico, it was a dominant gate-to-wire performance, as he won four races on opening day and never slowed down, winning two on Sunday to give him 63 victories for the meet, more than double that of runner-up Flavien Prat's 31.

In the all-important stakes-won category, it was Hernandez leading Prat 13 to 11, helping him to top all riders by purse money won with $4,672,374. 

Hernandez won three stakes on opening day, the San Gabriel (G2T) aboard the Leonard Powell-trained Dicey Mo Chara ; the La Brea (G1) with Bob Baffert's Fun To Dream ; and the American Oaks (G1T) aboard D'Amato's Irish-bred Rhea Moon .

Other stakes highlights for Hernandez came Jan. 7 aboard Peter Miller's Thirsty John  in the California Cup Derby; the Sham Stakes with Reincarnate  (G3) for Baffert Jan. 8; the San Pasqual (G2) for D'Amato Jan. 28 with Newgrange ; the San Vicente (G2) for Baffert with Havnameltdown  Jan. 29; the Santa Monica (G2) with Fun to Dream Feb. 4; the Palos Verdes (G3) with Hopkins  for Baffert Feb. 5; the Desert Stormer (G3) aboard Mark Glatt's Dance to the Music  March 25; the American (G3T) April 2 with Peter Eurton's Exaulted ; and the Evening Jewel Stakes (by 15 1/2 lengths) Saturday aboard Doug O'Neill's Ceiling Crusher .

Among apprentice jockeys, Armando Aguilar did very well, winning 18 races, good for eighth in the final standings.

D'Amato, who has become a dominant force on turf, in large part with Irish-breds, enjoyed another tremendous meeting, winning 32 races, five better than Bob Baffert. D'Amato finished with 11 stakes wins, second to Baffert's 12.

A 57-year-old native of San Pedro, Calif., D'Amato earned his third consecutive Classic Meet (formerly Winter/Spring) title and his fourth overall at Santa Anita.

He too got off to a fast start, winning the opening-day American Oaks in combination with Hernandez with Rhea Moon. He came back on Day 2 Dec. 30 to take the Eddie Logan with Classical Cat ; the Las Cienegas (G3T) Jan. 2 with English-bred Amy C ; the San Pasqual with Newgrange Jan. 28; the Thunder Road (G3T) Feb. 4 with Irish-bred Earls Rock ; the San Marcos (G3T) Feb. 5 with Irish-bred Prince Abama ; the Spring Fever Stakes with Alice Marble  Feb. 19; the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1T) with Irish-bred Gold Phoenix  March 4; the San Simeon (G3T) with English-bred Motorious  March 5; the Irish O'Brien with Alice Marble and the Monrovia with Elm Drive  on Saturday.

The Cohen family's Rancho Temescal and Red Baron's Barn won 13 races, five of them stakes, beginning with the opening day San Gabriel with English-bred Dicey Mo Chara; the Megahertz (G3T) Feb. 4 with Irish-bred Quattroelle ; the Buena Vista (G2T) March 4 with Quattroelle; the Desert Stormer with Dance to the Music March 25; and finishing up on Sunday by winning the John Shear Stakes with First Peace .

Santa Anita's first-ever Hollywood Meet will open April 21 and run through closing day, June 18. Santa Anita will be open for simulcast wagering beginning at 10 a.m. (CST) this Thursday through Sunday with free parking and admission.