Golden Gate leading jockey Hernandez shifting to So Cal

Juan Hernandez, the dominant rider at Golden Gate Fields in the last year, is relocating to Southern California next month.

Hernandez, 28, will ride the final days of the Los Alamitos summer meeting, which runs from June 26 to July 5, and will focus on the Del Mar summer meeting, which goes from July 10 to Sept. 7, according to his new agent, Craig O’Bryan.

“Ideally, he wants to stay,” O’Bryan said.

Hernandez was the leading rider at the Golden Gate autumn meeting last year. At the winter-spring meeting that ended Sunday, Hernandez led all riders with 135 wins, far clear of Catalino Martinez, who was second in the standings with 58 victories.

Hernandez was second on Anneau d’Or in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita last November and was winless in four mounts at the track on Jan. 18, the only day he has ridden there this year. Hernandez has not ridden at Del Mar since the fall of 2015 when he won the Golden State Juvenile on Smokey Image.

In his only mount at Los Alamitos, Hernandez finished second in the Los Alamitos Futurity in December on Anneau d’Or.

Hernandez is the second top rider from Northern California to try Southern California in as many seasons. Last summer, Abel Cedillo, the top rider at the 2018-19 Golden Gate winter-spring meeting, relocated from Northern California and had an immediate impact, finishing third in the standings at the Del Mar summer meeting.

Through Sunday, Cedillo ranks second in the standings at the Santa Anita winterspring meeting.

Del Mar purses take a hit

Overnight purses at Del Mar have been reduced by approximately 20 percent for the summer meeting, which begins July 10, a decline comparable to other major tracks across the nation this year.

The Del Mar summer meeting will begin without ontrack spectators because of the coronavirus outbreak. Handle will be generated from satellite and account-wagering sources. Tracks derive a higher percentage of revenue for purses from ontrack wagers.

“Given the lack of revenue from ontrack handle, that’s a big hit,” said David Jerkens, Del Mar’s racing secretary. “We derive purse money through handle only. There are no subsidies.

“The main thing is to present opportunities to owners and trainers.”

Track officials said last week they are hopeful that conditions surrounding the pandemic will improve in late summer, allowing for some ontrack customers.

This summer, Del Mar will offer maiden special weight races for $50,000, a decline of 18 percent from a $61,000 purse for a similar race at the corresponding meeting in 2019. A $25,000 claimer at a mile on turf will be worth $28,000 this year, compared to $35,000 last year.

Those purses are comparable to what has been offered at Santa Anita in recent weeks.

Other leading tracks have also cut purses this summer without ontrack spectators, or, in some cases, without revenue generated from other forms of gaming, such as slot machines or historical racing machines.

Churchill Downs is offering maiden special weight races for $79,000 compared to $95,000 last year. At Belmont Park, the same race has a value of $64,000 this year compared to $80,000 in 2019.

At Santa Anita, maiden special weight races are worth $50,000 compared to $65,000 at this time last year.

Santa Anita has held racing without spectators since midMarch and missed 21 days of racing from late March to midMay after being ordered to close by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health because of the pandemic.

Ollie’s Candy to Hirsch

Ollie’s Candy, third in Saturday’s Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes at Belmont Park after leading by 2 1/2 lengths in the stretch, will be pointed to the Grade 1 Clement Hirsch Stakes at Del Mar on Aug. 2, a race the mare won in 2019.

Trainer John Sadler said Wednesday that Ollie’s Candy will remain in New York until this weekend when she will be flown to Southern California.

The $250,000 Hirsch Stakes at 1 1/16 miles is the championship race of the summer meeting for older fillies and mares. The winner receives a feespaid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland on Nov. 7.

“The timing is good,” Sadler said. “It’s six week from the Phipps.”

Ollie’s Candy stalked the pace in the Phipps at 1 1/16 miles before taking a lead in the stretch. She was caught in the final strides, finishing a neck behind winner She’s a Julie.

Ollie’s Candy has won 4 of 13 starts and earned $780,151.

BENOIT PHOTO Juan Hernandez, shown on Smokey Image, has been the top rider in Northern California since Abel Cedillo headed south.