Hernandez, O'Neill Finish Atop Santa Anita Standings

The 2026 Santa Anita Autumn Meet came to a close on Sunday with Juan Hernandez as the leading jockey, Doug O'Neill as the top trainer and Hronis Racing as the leading owner. Hernandez rode 20 winners from 100 mounts (20 percent) at the 16-day stand to earn his fourth consecutive Autumn Meet jockey's title at Santa Anita. He also led all jockeys with $1,337,299 in purse earnings. Hernandez, a 34-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico, earned his signature win of the meet when guiding undefeated 2-year-old Hughes to victory in the Grade I American Pharoah Stakes for 2-year-olds. He also won the Lure Stakes aboard Artislas for trainer Jeff Mullins and California Distaff Handicap with Grand Slam Smile for trainer Sean McCarthy. O'Neill, a 58-year-old native of Dearborn, Mich., won 13 races from 56 starters (23 percent) to lead all trainers. Earlier this year, O'Neill also won the trainer's title at the Santa Anita Classic Meet. O'Neill's biggest wins came in the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship with Listenupshance, GIII John C. Harris Stakes with Little Opal and the Senator Ken Maddy Stakes with Pura Vida Princesa. His stable banked $643,920 in purse earnings at the stand. Hronis Racing, whose principal is Kosta Hronis, won five races from 12 starters (42 percent) to top the owner's standings while banking $196,540 in purse earnings. Hronis Racing has been in operation since 2010. Its most notable wins include Breeders' Cup victories with Accelerate in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Classic and Full Serrano in the 2024 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. In 2018, Hronis Racing won the Eclipse Award as North America's outstanding owner. Reddam Racing led owners in earnings with $248,900 accumulated from 21 starters. Led by Paul and Zillah Reddam, Reddam Racing most notably had a pair of allowance winners--3-year-old filly Factor P and 4-year-old filly Pavel Is Appealing--and finished second in the Grade I American Pharoah with Net Par. Reddam Racing's stakes earners also included Free Closer (4th, GII Oak Leaf; 3rd Golden State Juvenile Fillies), Less Please (4th, GIII Surfer Girl) and She's No Quant (5th, GII Zenyatta) This year the Thoroughbred Owners of California also kept statistics of owner's wins based on the managing partner of each winning horse. This reflects how owners often campaign horses through various partnerships. Based on that criteria, longtime owner-breeder Terry Lovingier showed the way with eight victories at the meet. Lovingier, 69, owns and operates Lovacres Ranch in Warren Springs, Calif. On closing weekend Saturday, Lovingier earned the biggest of his eight wins at the stand when Cupid Cowboy scored in the Golden State Juvenile for horses bred or sired in California. Lovingier bred Cupid Cowboy and co-owns the colt by Stay Thirsty with Victor M. Flores and John Moroney. Live racing will return to Santa Anita Park starting the day after Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 26 with the start of its traditional Classic Meet. Ticket packages for Opening Day and the rest of the Classic Meet are now available at santaanita.com.