Joel Rosario © Benoit Photo

It’s not often a rider joins the Del Mar jockey colony and in his first meet vaults to the top of the standings and captures the riding title. Then again, it’s been a while since a Hall of Fame rider has joined the ranks. Joel Rosario returned to California to ride this summer and promptly won the jockeys’ title, his fourth overall at Del Mar and first since 2011.

Rosario led the jockey standings with 42 wins during the 32-day meet, five better than the runner-up, defending champion Juan Hernandez’ 37. Rosario sat behind Hernandez through the first month of the summer meet then pounced on August 20 when Hernandez left town to ride in England. Rosario grabbed the lead with a four-win day and never gave it back. 

What makes his meet even more impressive is his poor start. Rosario began the meet one for 30. 

Hernandez doesn’t go home empty-handed. He led all jockeys in stakes wins with 14, falling one shy of the record for stakes wins by a jockey in a single season at Del Mar set by Flavien Prat in 2020.

Rounding out the Top 10 in the jockey standings were Antonio Fresu (32); Umberto Rispoli (27); Emisael Jaramillo (25); Kazushi Kimura (23); Armando Ayuso (16); Hector I Berrios (14); Tyler Baze (9), and Tiago Pereira (8).

Doug O'Neill © Benoit Photo

Doug O’Neill captured the training title, saddling 27 winners. He practically took them wire to wire. On day three of the meet he won four races to catch the early leader Michael McCarthy. O’Neill won the first race on day four to grab the lead and never looked back. 

By the time Rosario was assuming the lead in the jockey standings in mid-August, O’Neill had built a seven-win lead in the trainers’ standings. He increased the lead to double figures by August 30. He winds up 10 better than runner-up and defending champion Bob Baffert who finished with 17 victories. 

Baffert also led all trainers with six stakes triumphs.

Rounding out the Top 10 in the trainers’ standings were Phil D’Amato (16); Peter Miller (15); John Sadler (14); George Papaprodromou (14); Mark Glatt (12); Michael McCarthy (11); Jeff Mullins (10), and five trainers with seven.

J. Paul Reddam © Benoit Photo

Reddam Racing led all managing owners in wins with nine and in purse earnings with $810,040. Reddam Racing jumped out with four wins on opening weekend and would lead the rest of the way, finishing three better than Hronis Racing’s six.