Test Score. (Benoit)
Hernandez Makes It A Stakes Double
Santa Anita Press Box
ARCADIA, Calif.—Meet’s leading rider Juan Hernandez made it a stakes double Saturday at Santa Anita when guiding favorite Test Score to a comfortable 1 ½-length victory in the Grade II, $200,000 Twilight Derby going 1 1/8 miles on turf. About 90 minutes, earlier Hernandez also won the Tokyo City Cup Stakes aboard Privman.
Test Score (3-5) settled in fourth while racing on the outside and in the clear as Septembersixtyfour (11-1) proceeded to carve fractions of 23.55, 47.81 and 1:13.19 for six furlongs. Test Score launched his bid at the quarter pole and then swept passed the field in the final furlong to win in a time of 1:47.66.
Maaz, a 15-1 longshot, rallied from last to be second under Ricky Gonzalez. Namaron, the 5-2 second choice ridden by Hector Berrios, was another half-length back in third.
“All the credit goes to my horse because he broke well and put himself in a nice spot,” Hernandez said. “I was just traveling with him. He wanted to be there, and he was happy. All I did, turning for home, was just swing out. He is such a nice horse.”
A 3-year-old colt by Lookin at Lucky, Test Score is trained by Graham Motion and campaigned by breeder Amerman Racing. He won the GI Belmont Derby in July, was third in the GI Saratoga Derby on Aug. 2 and most recently finished fourth in the GIII Nashville Derby at Kentucky Downs on Aug. 30.
Motion was not at Santa Anita Saturday. Test Score was saddled by his assistant, Alice Clapham.
“He ran great, and Juan gave him a great ride,” Clapham said. “It worked out really well. He is a straightforward colt and just runs his heart out every time he runs.”
For Hernandez, the Twilight Derby was his seventh stakes win at Autumn Meet to lead all jockeys. He’s also poised to clinch is ninth Santa Anita riding title with one day remaining in the meet.
“This afternoon my agent (Craig O’Bryan) told me we had some good ones today and he was right,” Hernandez said.
Test Score paid $3.20, $2.20 and $2.10. Maaz, trained by Michael McCarthy, paid $6.80 and $3.20. Namaron, with Hector Berrios aboard for trainer John Sadler, paid $2.40.
Live racing resumes Sunday for closing day of the Autumn Meet. All pari-mutuel pools will have mandatory payouts. First post is 1 p.m. for a 10-race card.
GRADE II, $200,000 TWILIGHT DERBY QUOTES
Juan Hernandez, Jockey “This afternoon my agent told me we had some good ones today and he was right. We started out with Privman. I had to work with him a little but because he likes to play around. He got the job done. Then this horse for Graham Motion, all the credit goes to my horse because he broke well and put himself in a nice spot, I was just travelling with him. He wanted to be there, and he was happy. All I did, turning for home was just swing out. All the credit to my horse. He is just such a nice horse.”
Alice Clapham, Assistant To Graham Motion: “He ran great, and Juan gave him a great ride. It worked out really well. He is a straightforward colt and just runs his heart out every time he runs.”
John Amerman, Amerman Racing, Owner: “I think he wanted to be focused a little bit more and Graham Motion thought that the blinkers would help him, and it was classic. He did well today.
“You never know that anyone is going to be victorious. But we wanted to come out and see him. It is a Grade II, the Twilight Derby, and we are happy to be here.”
