Brian Hernandez winning the meet’s opening race with 14-1 Flirting With Time. (Coady Media)
By Tim Wilkin
FRANKLIN, Ky. — It has been quite the year for jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.
He won the Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan. He took the Kentucky Oaks with Thorpedo Anna and the filly has become one of the superstars of the sport.
The 38-year-old jockey is still the all-time leading rider in Kentucky Downs history.
And, if it’s all the same to everyone else, he would rather keep it that way.
After winning the first race on opening day with 14-1 Flirting With Time, Hernandez has 61 career wins, six more than Tyler Gaffalione. Gaffalione won the opening day feature, the Big Ass Fans Tapit Stakes, with Irish Aces.
Gaffalione has 55 career wins at Kentucky Downs.
“It is special,” Hernandez said about holding down the top spot. “I have been riding here for a long time. My first year was 2004. Kentucky has been home for a long time.”
Hernandez will be riding here Saturday and then is scheduled to ride at Saratoga Sunday. He will ride at Kentucky Downs the final four days of the meet.
“You want to stay at the top,” Hernandez said. “But it’s tough, especially now with the purses. You’ve got guys coming here from all over the world. You just hope the clients show up and the hoses run well.”
