Horse Racing Icon Juan Hernandez Receives Applauds from Beloved Racetrack After Historic Career Achievements

It was a day for the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes on the celebrated tracks of Del Mar on Sunday. The ‘turf meets the surf’ venue had nine races to cherish over the weekend under the nostalgic past of Seabiscuit. Del Mar, the track that has held a decades-long history of glory and thrill, did not shy away from letting jockey Juan Hernandez share some of it on the 26th.

The Veracruz, Mexico native has had a racing career for almost 15 years. Adding one title at a time, Hernandez has made quite a name for himself in horse racing. His ride atop Mr. Fisk on Sunday added yet another feat, pushing him closer to a rather coveted title in the coming week.

Race track applauds the renowned jockey

Juan Hernandez moved to Southern California in June 2020, and the SGB Tribune claims that he has taken the region by storm ever since. His most recent ride at Del Mar quite possibly backs his stance, as Hernandez dominated four of the nine races. Moreover, a race atop Mr. Fisk for the 8th race was a cherry on top, with $100,000 in the purse for the jockey, putting a spectacular end to his week. “What a WEEK for Juan,” Del Mar wrote, sharing Juan’s victory moment. “@JJHernandezS19 scored wins at the seaside oval to claim the lead in the jockey standings with only one week to go.”

On the 1 1/8-mile track, Mr. Fisk earned his third career win since his debut in 2022. The rider-equine duo surpassed Newgrange in mid-stretch to claim a win by 1 1/4 length and 1:49.69 on the clock. “It was a bit slow, but Juan realized they were going too slow, and he made his move,” trainer Bob Baffert said. Juan’s other wins for the day included rides atop Lakota Spirit, Phenom, and Lambeau that took him to the tabletop.

Hernandez’s horse racing excellence

The Del Mar is one of California’s most recognizable tracks, hosting multiple grade stakes and handicaps alike. Holding its prestige, the organization tracks the best trainers, jockeys, and owners on its ground every year. This time around, come the fall end, Del Mar is gearing up to announce its new victor, and jockey Juan Hernandez has climbed the ladder with his recent performance. His other notable win came in September when he secured $60,000 of the winner’s share. With that, Juan currently leads the table with 59 starts and 19 wins, accompanied by $899,180 in earnings.

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Golden Gate Fields riding title in 2020, San Diego Handicap in 2021, and Gamely Stakes in the same year are some wins that constitute Juan’s 11,787 starts and 2,552 career wins. With 2023 earnings at $14,104,365, the jockey will look to clinch the title in the upcoming week.

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