Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard Letruska after their victory in the Juddmonte Spinister G1 at Keeneland October 10, 2021 (Coady Photography)
Mac McBride/DMTC News
DEL MAR, Calif.—Two of the nation’s top jockeys will make cameo appearances at Del Mar this weekend. Irad Ortiz, Jr. and Joel Rosario both plan to ride Sunday’s card. The two future Hall of Famers will fly in from the east coast, where they ride during the year, following the races at Aqueduct on Saturday.
Ortiz, Jr., a three-time Eclipse Award winning jockey, has ranked first in the nation in wins every year since 2017. He comes in to ride Dolce Zel for Chad Brown in the G1 Matriarch. He has four other mounts on the day. He’ll ride Ashcroft for trainer Wesley Ward in the first race; Maltese Falcon for trainer Leonard Powell in the third; Papale for Mark Glatt in the eighth race, and Lincoln Hawk for the meet’s leading trainer, Philip D’Amato, in the ninth.
Rosario, who rode fulltime at Del Mar from 2007 to 2011 and notched riding titles here in 2009, 2010 and 2011, will ride Wakanaka for trainer Bill Mott in the Matriarch. The reigning Eclipse Award winning jockey has four other mounts on Sunday. Carver in the first race, Hawker in the third, and Bright Leaf in the eighth, all from the John Sadler barn, and Hudson Ridge for trainer Bob Baffert in the ninth.
Free & Fun Sundays On Tap Tomorrow At Del Mar
“Free & Fun Sundays” will be happening tomorrow at Del Mar, a racing fan’s delight that brings a bounty of good things for those who belong to, or join, the track’s Diamond Club.
Members get free admission and a program. The also get a free seat. And they get food and beverage discounts like a Coors Light beer for only $5 and a Brandt Beef hot dog, also for only a fiver.
For those who aren’t already a Diamond Club member, the sign up only takes a few minutes and is readily available just outside the Stretch Run admission gates.
COOLING OUT: If you ever wonder what it takes to be a Hall of Fame jockey look no further than the example set by Mike Smith on Friday. He worked horses at Santa Anita during their morning session, then jumped in the car and traveled down to Del Mar to gallop War At Sea, who was scheduled to run in today’s G1 Hollywood Derby for trainer Ron Ellis…The races end Sunday but training at Del Mar extends into next week. The main track will be open for horsemen in the mornings through Wednesday.
Del Mar Statistics
Jockey Standings
(Current Through Friday, December 2, 2022, Inclusive)
| Jockey | Mts | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Win% | In-money% | Money Won |
| Juan Hernandez | 67 | 18 | 13 | 9 | 27% | 60% | $1,013,440 |
| Flavien Prat | 70 | 16 | 15 | 7 | 23% | 54% | $1,149,486 |
| Ramon Vazquez | 58 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 16% | 40% | $496,512 |
| John Velazquez | 33 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 18% | 64% | $455,720 |
| Edwin Maldonado | 52 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 12% | 29% | $355,042 |
| Hector Berrios | 38 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 13% | 42% | $324,220 |
| Kyle Frey | 29 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 17% | 31% | $187,960 |
| Umberto Rispoli | 42 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 12% | 31% | $284,808 |
| Joe Bravo | 27 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 15% | 52% | $242,855 |
| Mike Smith | 16 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 19% | 56% | $210,760 |
Trainer Standings
(Current Through Friday, December 2, 2022, Inclusive)
| Trainer | Sts | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Win% | In-money% | Money Won |
| Philip D’Amato | 44 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 34% | 70% | $1,059,844 |
| Bob Baffert | 23 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 30% | 70% | $529,700 |
| Doug F. O’Neill | 21 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 29% | 57% | $289,600 |
| George Papaprodromou | 35 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 17% | 43% | $259,971 |
| Peter Miller | 35 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 14% | 49% | $332,558 |
| Michael W. McCarthy | 17 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 24% | 71% | $244,660 |
| Carla Gaines | 18 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 22% | 56% | $251,488 |
| Jeff Mullins | 17 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 18% | 53% | $206,760 |
| Mark Glatt | 26 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 12% | 42% | $244,988 |
| Ryan Hanson | 11 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 27% | 55% | $151,920 |
Winning Favorites Report
(Current Through Friday, December 2, 2022, Inclusive)
Winning favorites — 36 out of 96 — 37.50%
Winning favorites on dirt — 20 out of 47 — 42.55%
Winning favorites on turf — 16 out of 49 — 32.65%
Winning odds-on favorites — 13 out of 18 — 72.22%
In-the-Money favorites — 71 out of 96 — 73.96%
In-the-Money odds-on favorites — 16 out of 18 — 88.89%
