You’d think the Santa Anita jockey standings would be predictable by now. Juan Hernandez wins everything, Umberto Rispoli dominates the turf, and everyone else fights for the crumbs, right? Well, not exactly. As we roll through the 2026 Winter-Spring meet, the leaderboard at the "Great Race Place" looks like someone threw a deck of cards down the hillside turf course.
Honestly, it’s been a weird start to the year. Usually, the Santa Anita jockey standings are a slow burn, but this season, a massive influx of talent from the East Coast and some savvy veteran moves have turned the room upside down. If you're betting on these races, you've probably noticed that the "safe" plays aren't as safe as they used to be.
The Current State of the Santa Anita Jockey Standings
Right now, it’s a dogfight at the top. As of mid-January 2026, Umberto Rispoli and Juan Hernandez are neck-and-neck for the lead in total wins. Rispoli has been a monster. He currently sits at 10 wins from 49 starts. Hernandez, who has been the king of the mountain for years, is right there with 9 wins, though he’s done it in fewer starts—just 37.
Then you have Kazushi Kimura. He’s the wildcard. He’s tied with Hernandez at 9 wins and has been showing up in the winner's circle with some longshots that are absolutely nuking Pick 5 tickets.
The Big Earners
Wins are one thing, but if you look at the bankroll, the numbers change. Juan Hernandez might be second in wins, but he’s crushing everyone in earnings with over $835,000. Why? Because he’s getting the call on the big Saturday stakes horses. He’s the go-to guy for Bob Baffert and Mark Glatt when the money is really on the line.
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Rispoli is trailing him in the wallet department, sitting at roughly $563,000. It’s a gap, but at Santa Anita, one Grade 1 win can flip those standings in about two minutes.
The Emisael Jaramillo Factor
The biggest shock to the Santa Anita jockey standings this year isn't a local. It’s Emisael Jaramillo. For years, Jaramillo was a fixture at Gulfstream Park. He was the king of the Florida speed horses. Suddenly, he packs his bags, moves to Arcadia, and starts riding like he’s lived here his whole life.
He’s already cracked the top five. He’s got 7 wins from just 31 starts. That’s a 23% win rate. If you’ve been following him, you know he’s developed a "dynamic duo" vibe with trainer Doug O'Neill. On a single Friday card in early January, O'Neill saddled four winners, and Jaramillo was aboard for three of them.
It’s refreshing. It’s also making the morning line odds a mess. You used to get 6-1 on a Jaramillo horse because people didn't know if his style would translate to the Santa Anita dirt. Now? He’s getting bet down to 2-1 before the horses even leave the paddock.
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Why the Leaderboard is Shifting
The Santa Anita jockey standings aren't just about who's the best athlete. It's about politics, barns, and the "circuit shuffle."
- The Flavien Prat Ghost: Flavien Prat is technically leading the national earnings list, but he’s been bouncing back and forth. When he’s at Santa Anita, he dominates. When he’s at Oaklawn or Gulfstream, the local guys breathe a sigh of relief. His 34% win rate is terrifying, but his lack of a permanent daily presence this winter has left the door wide open for Hernandez and Rispoli.
- The Turf Specialist Divide: If the race is on the grass, you almost have to look at Rispoli. He’s winning at a high clip on the lawn. If you’re looking at the Santa Anita jockey standings and wondering why he has so many "seconds" and "thirds" (9 and 6 respectively), it’s because he’s often stuck in traffic on the turf.
- The Baffert Connection: Juan Hernandez has the keys to the kingdom. Riding for Baffert is basically a cheat code for the Santa Anita jockey standings. When you’re sitting on horses like Explora or Nysos, your win percentage is going to stay north of 25% regardless of how much coffee you had that morning.
Beyond the Top Three: The Grinders
You can't talk about the standings without mentioning guys like Kyle Frey and Hector Isaac Berrios. They aren't going to win the title. They know it, and we know it. But they are the reason the favorites get beat.
Berrios is currently sitting with 4 wins and a boatload of "in the money" finishes. He’s the king of the $12.00 payout. Meanwhile, Italian veteran Mirco Demuro has been picking up steam with 5 wins. The depth in this room is deeper than it was in 2025, which makes the Santa Anita jockey standings a much more volatile metric than in previous years.
A Quick Look at the Numbers (Mid-January 2026)
- Umberto Rispoli: 10 Wins | 49 Starts | $563,800
- Juan Hernandez: 9 Wins | 37 Starts | $835,900
- Kazushi Kimura: 9 Wins | 45 Starts | $606,440
- Emisael Jaramillo: 7 Wins | 31 Starts | $301,500
- Mirco Demuro: 5 Wins | 34 Starts | $401,200
What This Means for Your Betting Strategy
If you're tracking the Santa Anita jockey standings to help your handicapping, stop looking at just the win totals. Look at the win percentage and the trainer pairings.
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Jaramillo with O'Neill is a must-bet right now. Hernandez with Baffert or Glatt is a "short price but likely winner" scenario. The real value is finding where Kazushi Kimura or Hector Berrios are riding for "second-tier" barns like Philip D’Amato or John Sadler. Those are the spots where the jockey standings tell a story of a rider who is "live" but overlooked.
The meet is long. We still have the Santa Anita Derby and the big March stakes to go. By the time we hit April, expect Hernandez to be back on top of the wins list—his consistency is just too high. But for now, enjoy the chaos. It’s making for some great racing.
Actionable Insights for Following the Meet:
- Monitor the Ship-ins: Keep an eye on when Flavien Prat or Irad Ortiz Jr. fly in for stakes weekends; they won't lead the Santa Anita jockey standings in wins, but they will steal the purse money.
- Watch the Jaramillo/O'Neill Pairing: This is the hottest trainer-jockey combo on the grounds right now.
- Turf vs. Dirt: Weight your decisions heavily toward Rispoli on the grass and Hernandez on the main track.
- Don't Ignore the Apprentices: While they aren't at the top of the standings yet, the weight allowance in claiming races can flip a result in the final 1/16th of a mile.
To stay ahead, check the Equibase "Top Leaders" report daily. The standings change every four hours on race days, and catching a rider on a "hot streak" before the betting public notices is the only way to make money in this game.