You can smell the eucalyptus and the expensive stable bedding the moment you walk toward the paddock at Santa Anita Park. It’s "The Great Race Place." But for bettors and casual fans alike, the scenery takes a backseat to the guys in the colorful silks. If you’re looking at the leading jockeys at Santa Anita, you aren't just looking at athletes; you're looking at tactical gamblers moving at 40 miles per hour.
It’s a high-stakes chess match. Honestly, the hierarchy in the jockey room at Santa Anita is probably the most competitive in the world. You’ve got Hall of Famers fighting for mounts against kids who weren't even born when the veterans were winning their first Santa Anita Derby.
The standings change. They fluctuate with every winter-spring meet and every autumn sprint. But a few names basically own the dirt and the turf here.
The Juan Hernandez Era is Very Real
If you’ve looked at a racing program in Arcadia anytime over the last three years, you’ve seen Juan Hernandez at the top. It’s almost a joke at this point. He’s the undisputed king of the hill.
Hernandez didn't just stumble into this. After Flavien Prat moved his primary base to the East Coast, there was a massive power vacuum. Hernandez sucked all that oxygen out of the room. He wins at a percentage that makes most other riders look like they’re standing still. We are talking about a guy who consistently hits a 20% to 25% win rate. That’s absurd. In horse racing, if you win once every four tries, you’re a god.
He has that "it" factor. Horses run for him. You’ll see him sit patiently behind a speed duel, tucked in along the rail, and he just knows when the gap is going to open. He doesn’t panic. That’s the hallmark of the leading jockeys at Santa Anita—the ability to stay cool when 1,200 pounds of muscle is tiring underneath you.
Critics might say he gets the best horses. Well, yeah. Trainers like Bob Baffert and Phil D’Amato don't give the keys to a Ferrari to a teenager with a learner's permit. He gets the best mounts because he makes the fewest mistakes.
👉 See also: Why the 2025 NFL Draft Class is a Total Headache for Scouts
Flavien Prat: The Part-Time Dominator
It’s kinda weird to talk about Flavien Prat as a "local" jockey now because he spends so much time in New York and Kentucky. But when the big stakes races roll around, or when the prestigious winter meet opens on December 26, Prat shows up. And when he shows up, the win totals for everyone else start to shrink.
Prat is a surgeon. Especially on the grass. Santa Anita’s downhill turf course—the one with that quirky dirt crossover—requires a specific kind of nerve. Prat has it. He has this uncanny ability to save ground. You’ll watch him and think he’s trapped. You’ll think, "There’s no way he gets out." Then, magically, he’s two lengths clear at the wire.
His presence changes the betting pools. If Prat is on a 4-1 shot, that horse is probably going off at 5-2 by the time the gates open. People trust him with their money.
The Veterans Who Refuse to Retire
You can’t talk about the leading jockeys at Santa Anita without mentioning the "old guard." We are talking about legends.
- Mike Smith: They call him "Big Blue" or "Big Money Mike" for a reason. He doesn't ride ten races a day anymore. He’s in his late 50s. But if there is a $100,000 purse on the line, he’s the guy you want. He’s the all-time leader in Breeders' Cup wins. Seeing him in the paddock is like seeing LeBron James at a local pickup game.
- Victor Espinoza: The man who rode American Pharoah to the Triple Crown. He’s still there. He’s selective. He’s savvy. He knows every inch of that Santa Anita dirt.
- Kent Desormeaux: A total wildcard but a brilliant tactical rider. When Kent is on his game, nobody—and I mean nobody—is better at judging pace. He can feel the fractions in his bones.
These guys aren't hunting for the "Leading Rider" title in terms of total wins anymore. They are hunting for trophies. But their influence on how a race is run is massive. They dictate the tempo. If Mike Smith is on the lead, the younger riders know they can't let him get too comfortable, or it's game over.
The Rise of the New Breed
While the veterans hold the line, a new group of leading jockeys at Santa Anita is kicking down the door.
✨ Don't miss: Liverpool FC Chelsea FC: Why This Grudge Match Still Hits Different
Take Antonio Fresu. He came over from Dubai and Italy and basically took the circuit by storm. He’s aggressive. He’s hungry. Trainers love him because he works horses in the morning—that’s the "secret sauce" people forget. You want the mount? You gotta show up at 5:00 AM when it’s freezing and foggy and exercise the horse. Fresu does the work.
Then you have guys like Umberto Rispoli. If you are betting on a turf race at Santa Anita and you don't look at Rispoli, you’re basically throwing your money in the trash. He is perhaps the most animated, passionate rider on the circuit. He screams, he celebrates, and he rides with a European style that involves a lot of "hand riding" rather than just whipping. He gets into the horse's rhythm.
Why the "Leading" Part is Tricky
Statistically, the leader is usually the guy with the most wins. But "leading" can also mean the most profitable for you, the bettor.
Sometimes, the top guy like Hernandez is "over-bet." His horses are 1-2 or 3-5 odds. You won't get rich betting on him. The real skill is finding the rider who is "hot" but hasn't been noticed by the general public yet.
Look at the "Apprentice" jockeys—the "bugs." They get a weight allowance. They carry five, seven, or ten pounds less than the veterans. At a grueling track like Santa Anita, especially when it’s hot, that weight difference is huge. A young bug rider can suddenly become one of the leading jockeys at Santa Anita for a three-week stretch just because they have the "light" weights and a lot of ambition.
The Physical Toll of Santa Anita
It isn't all sunshine and winner's circles. This track is demanding. The dirt can be "deep" and "tiring." If a jockey isn't fit, they’ll get caught in the final sixteenth of a mile.
🔗 Read more: NFL Football Teams in Order: Why Most Fans Get the Hierarchy Wrong
The jockeys here are basically elite cross-fit athletes who starve themselves. They are in the gym constantly. They have to balance strength with a weight that usually stays around 110 to 118 pounds. Think about that. They are controlling 1,200 pounds of unpredictable animal while weighing less than a middle-schooler.
The riders who stay at the top of the standings are the ones who manage their bodies the best. They avoid the catastrophic falls, sure, but they also avoid the burnout of the year-round California racing calendar.
How to Use This Information
If you’re heading to the track or logging into an ADW app, don't just pick the horse with the prettiest name.
- Check the Standings: Look at the current meet's win percentages. A jockey with a 15% win rate is solid. Over 20% is elite.
- Turf vs. Dirt: Some riders are specialists. Rispoli and Prat are turf kings. Hernandez and Maldonado are dirt grinders.
- The Trainer-Jockey Connection: Look for patterns. Certain trainers always use the same jockeys. If Bob Baffert puts Hernandez on a horse, that’s a "live" horse. If Phil D’Amato puts Fresu on a turf horse, pay attention.
- The Morning Works: Check the workout tabs. If a jockey is getting up early to work a horse for a specific trainer, it shows intent. They aren't just showing up for the paycheck; they are invested in that horse's success.
The leading jockeys at Santa Anita are the best in the business for a reason. They understand the wind coming off the San Gabriel mountains. They know when the track is "fast" or "tiring." Most importantly, they know how to win.
Keep an eye on the jockey changes too. If a horse ran poorly last time with a mediocre rider and suddenly Juan Hernandez is named to ride, that is the biggest "buy" signal in horse racing. It means the trainer thinks the horse is ready to win and they’ve hired the best "pilot" to get the job done.
The hierarchy is always shifting, but the quality stays the same. Whether it's the sheer dominance of Hernandez, the tactical brilliance of Prat, or the legendary status of Mike Smith, the jockeys are the ones who ultimately decide who gets their picture taken in the winner's circle.
Actionable Next Steps for Racing Fans
- Monitor the "Equibase" Jockey Standings: Check the statistics specifically for the "Santa Anita Winter/Spring" or "Autumn" meets rather than national stats to see who has the current "home field" advantage.
- Watch Replays focusing on the "Trip": Don't just watch the winner. Watch the jockey who finished third. Did they get blocked? Did they have to go wide? This tells you who is riding well even when they aren't winning.
- Follow Jockey Agents on Social Media: Agents like Tom Knust or Matt Nakatani often post updates about their riders' mounts. This can give you an inside look at which horses the top jockeys are excited about riding.
- Attend a Morning Workout: Santa Anita often allows the public to watch morning works from the clocker's corner. Seeing the leading jockeys at Santa Anita interact with the horses at 6:30 AM gives you a much deeper appreciation for their craft than just seeing them for two minutes during a race.