Benoit Photo
Juan Hernandez Top Jockey at Santa Anita Autumn Meet; Phil D’Amato Leads All Trainers In Wins, Spendthrift Farm Claims Owner’s Title
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif. —The 2025 Santa Anita Autumn Meet ended Sunday with Juan Hernandez as top jockey, Phil D’Amato claiming the trainer’s crown and Spendthrift Farm winning the owner’s title.
Hernandez coasted to his ninth jockey’s title at Santa Anita with 28 wins from 92 mounts (30 percent). Runner-up was Umberto Rispoli with 19 wins from 79 mounts (24 percent). Hernandez also led all jockeys with eight stakes wins and $1,707,338 in purse earnings.
“I’d like to thank all the trainers and owners again, for all the support they give me. They trust me to ride their horses,” said Hernandez, a 33-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico.
Hernandez’s stakes wins came with Explora in the GII Oak Leaf, Cavalieri in the GII Zenyatta, Imagination in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship, Privman in the Tokyo City Cup and Himika in the Anoakia, all for trainer Bob Baffert. Plus Test Score in the GII Twilight Derby and Warming in the GIII Autumn Miss, both for trainer Graham Motion, and Vibez in the Swingtime for trainer Peter Eurton.
D’Amato led all trainers in wins with 13 victories from 54 starters (27 percent). Baffert finished second with 11 wins from 41 starts.
For D’Amato, 49, this was his eighth trainer’s title at Santa Anita. His 13 wins includes four stakes victories coming with Gold Phoenix in the GII John Henry Turf Championship, Mission of Joy in the GII Rodeo Drive, Innovative in the GIII John C. Harris and Later Than Planned in the Speakeasy.
“I love it here,” D’Amato said in a winner’s circle ceremony Sunday. “We focused on having a big second half of 2025 and it has worked out thus far. Hopefully it continues to Santa Anita Winter. I always tell everybody you are only as good as your help. I’ve got super assistants at Santa Anita, at Los Alamitos and in Kentucky. It is a total team effort, from good help all the way down. I’m only as good as my help. You can see I have some great people behind me and they make it easy for me every day.”
Spendthrift Farm led all owners with four wins from seven starters at the stand. Among Spendthrift’s winners were Tamara in the GIII Chillingworth and Brave Deb in the GIII Surfer Girl. Both return to action at this week’s Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar with Tamara entered in the Filly & Mare Sprint on Saturday and Brave Deb in the Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday.
Live racing resumes at Santa Anita with the start of the 2025-26 Classic Meet on Friday, Dec. 26. For more information, visitsantaanita.com or call (626) 574-RACE.
