Jockey Of The Week: Frankie Dettori Wins Six Straight Races On Santa Anita Derby Day

Saturday was an important racing day featuring the last major prep races across the country for the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1). But it was international super star jockey Frankie Dettori who stole the limelight. His six straight wins including two stakes races at Santa Anita on Santa Anita Derby Day earned the world class rider Jockey of the Week honors for April 1 through April 7.

The weekly award recognizes jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys’ Guild, the organization which represents more than 1,050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

Dettori started the week on Friday, opening day at Keeneland. Next, it was a flight back to California for 11 mounts on the 12-race card on Saturday, Santa Anita Derby Day.

As Dettori himself noted laughingly: “Oh my god, I’m 53. I can’t remember riding 11 races in a day. I hope I can make it.” 

The six-race win streak began without much fanfare in the second race, a maiden special weight for trainer Mark Glatt aboard Ball Don’t Lie ($6.60). A win followed in the third with Recinto Rompere ($18.20) in an allowance turf race for trainer Leonard Powell. Dettori won the fourth race, the Evening Jewel Stakes, with Roberta’s Love ($21.60) for trainer Hector Palma. Trainer Richard Dutrow gave a leg up to Dettori in the fifth race, a maiden special weight he won aboard Kathynmarissa ($15).

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert enlisted Dettori for the mount on Nothing Like You in race six, the G2 Santa Anita Oaks. The lesser-regarded of Baffert’s two fillies, Nothing Like You broke well and saved ground along the rail. At the top of the stretch, Dettori gave the filly her cue and drew off to win by 7 1/2 lengths in 1:43.21, paying her backers $16.40.

When Dettori climbed aboard his mount in the seventh race, fans had gotten wise and made Royal Charter for trainer Leonard Powell the 4-1 favorite in the field of 12 paying $10.80. It was the 16th time a rider won six races in a day at Santa Anita.

Dettori had four chances for a seventh win but fell short, the closest being a second-place finish by a neck aboard Imagination for trainer Bob Baffert in the G1 Santa Anita Derby.

“It was beyond my wildest dreams to win six races on derby day,” said Dettori. “Are you joking me? I’m enjoying it.”

Dettori will ride at Keeneland this month before riding Kentucky Derby weekend at Churchill Downs.

Other contenders for Jockey of the Week included Antonio Fresu who won the G1 Santa Anita Derby, Tyler Gaffalione with two G1 wins at Keeneland, Jose Lezcano who posted five wins on a single day and a G3 stakes at Aqueduct, and Hall of Famer John Velazquez who won the G2 Wood Memorial.