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Rafael Hernandez (jockey)

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Rafael Manuel Hernandez (born 1984 or 1985) is a Puerto Rican thoroughbred racing jockey. During his career, he led in wins at Fairmount Park from 2005 to 2014 except for 2009. At graded stakes races, Hernandez has won 24 Grade III, 17 Grade II and 3 Grade I events. He also finished in thirteenth at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in 2015.

At the Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing from 2015 onward, Hernandez had three first places each at the King's Plate and Breeders' Stakes. He finished second at the Prince of Wales Stakes four times. As a Canadian Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing competitor, Hernandez won the 2020 Wonder Where Stakes and 2022 Woodbine Oaks. He was also second at the 2020 Bison City Stakes. Hernandez has won more than 3,100 races and accumulated over $70 million in prize winnings. He received the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Jockey during 2020.

Early life and education

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Hernandez was born during the mid-1980s in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico.[1] He became interested in horse racing as a teenager.[2] Until the early 2000s, Hernandez attended the Vocational Equestrian School of Puerto Rico.[3]

Career

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Racecourses

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For his apprentice jockey career, Hernandez went to Tampa Bay Downs in 2004 and had his first victory there.[4][5] He had the most victories at Ellis Park Race Course that year for apprentice riders.[6] Hernandez started competing at Fairmount Park after the apprenticeship ended in the mid-2000s.[4] While at Fairmount from 2005 to 2014, he led in wins each year except for 2009.[2][7]

In February 2016, Hernandez was injured during a Gulfstream Park race.[8] This resulted in "a broken collarbone, fractured ribs and ... one of his kidneys removed".[9] During June 2016, he resumed his career before moving to Woodbine Racetrack.[10] Hernandez led in victories while there during 2020.[11]

Major races

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At the 2014 Grey Stakes, Hernandez became a graded stakes race winner.[12] As part of his wins, Hernandez has won the Marine Stakes four times as a Grade III competitor. He has been in first place at 24 Grade III, 17 Grade II and 3 Grade I races.[13] During this time period, he finished in thirteenth at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf during 2015.[14]

At Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing events, Hernandez had first places at the Queen's Plate during 2015 with Shaman Ghost and 2022 with Moira.[15][16] After the event was renamed to the King's Plate, he re-won the event in 2024.[17] In the Prince of Wales Stakes, Hernandez was second during 2015 and 2017.[18][19] Additional second places by him were in 2020 and 2024.[20][21] Hernandez was also third at the 2021 edition.[22] From 2016 to 2019, he was the Breeders' Stakes champion three times and runner-up once.[23][24] At other editions, Herndandez was second during 2024.[25]

In Canadian Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing events, Hernandez was third at the 2017 Bison City Stakes.[26][27] During 2020, he finished in third place.[28] Additional top three finishes at the event were second in 2022 and third during 2024.[29][30] During 2020, he was third at the Woodbine Oaks.[31] He was first in the 2022 edition and second in 2024.[32][33] At the Wonder Where Stakes, he won the 2020 event.[34]

Overall performance and personal life

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Hernandez received the Sovereign Award for Outstanding Jockey in 2020.[35] In Equibase rankings for North American thoroughbred jockeys, his best performances were eighth place in 2011 wins and twenty-seventh place in 2020 earnings.[36] By 2024, Hernandez had won over 3,100 races and accumulated more than $70 million in prize winnings.[37] He is married and has three children.[38]

Refereneces

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  1. ^ Lamb, Katie (June 30, 2018). "Pilots of the Caribbean". The Toronto Star. p. S1.
  2. ^ a b Roberts, Ken (June 19, 2014). "Hernandez jockeys for position on race track, not in night clubs". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. C2.
  3. ^ Lamb 2018, pp. S1, S8
  4. ^ a b Overbey, Steve (June 13, 2006). "Hernandez is a rider on the rise". The Belleville News-Democrat. p. D1.
  5. ^ "Rafael Manuel Hernandez". Equibase. 2004. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  6. ^ Guilliams, Cliff (September 7, 2004). "Grueling 54-day season limps to wire at Ellis Park". Evansville Courier & Press. pp. C1, C3.
  7. ^ Roberts, Ken (March 23, 2015). "They'll be off and running at Fairmount". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. B6 para. Rafael Says Adios.
  8. ^ "Two Jockeys Hurt, Horse Dies in Spill". Lexington Herald-Leader. February 21, 2016. p. 7B.
  9. ^ "Exclusive: Jockey Seriously Injured At Gulfstream Park On Road To Recovery". CBS Miami. CBS News. March 11, 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  10. ^ Morrison, Jennifer (June 29, 2016). "Plate champion returns to Woodbine full time". The Toronto Star. p. S4.
  11. ^ "Hernandez edges Stein in close jockey race, Casse earns 12th Woodbine training title". Woddbine Racetrack. November 27, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  12. ^ Rees, Jennie (November 24, 2014). "Rafael Hernandez in obscurity no more". The Courier Journal. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  13. ^ "Rafael Manuel Hernandez Graded Stakes Wins". Equibase. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  14. ^ "2015 Juvenile Fillies Turf". Breeders' Cup. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  15. ^ Manutah, Richard (8 July 2015). "Ghost of a chance at Canadian Triple Crown". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  16. ^ Ralph, Dan (August 21, 2022). "Moira wins 163rd running of $1-million Queen's Plate". CBC. The Canadian Press. Retrieved September 23, 2024.
  17. ^ "King's Plate horse race runs Friday after earlier rainout". CBC. August 23, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  18. ^ Ralph, Dan (July 29, 2015). "Shaman's Ghost falls to Breaking Lucky". The Toronto Star. The Canadian Press. p. S3.
  19. ^ Kershner, Gene (July 26, 2017). "Cool Catomine, 14-1 shot, scores Prince of Wales upset". The Buffalo News. p. D7.
  20. ^ "Mighty Heart Captures $400,000 Prince of Wales Stakes to move closer to Triple Crown". The Hamilton Spectator. The Canadian Press. September 30, 2020. p. A15.
  21. ^ "Strong stretch run earns Vitality the win in Prince of Wales Stakes race". The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press. September 10, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  22. ^ Crosby, Claire, ed. (September 15, 2021). "Race Results" (PDF). BloodHorse Daily. p. 55. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  23. ^ "Tone Broke wins Breeders' Stakes for two-thirds of Canadian Triple Crown". TSN. The Canadian Press. August 17, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  24. ^ Crosby, Claire, ed. (August 19, 2018). "Race Results" (PDF). BloodHorse Daily. p. 21. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  25. ^ "Breeders' S. (BT) - 2024". BloodHorse. September 29, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  26. ^ Mauntah, Richard (July 9, 2017). "Enstone takes Bison City Stakes". Toronto Sun. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  27. ^ Novak, Claire, ed. (July 10, 2017). "Race Results" (PDF). BloodHorse Daily. p. 25. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  28. ^ Hammonds, Evan, ed. (September 13, 2020). "Race Results" (PDF). BloodHorse Daily. p. 56. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  29. ^ "Sister Seagull ekes out Bison City Stakes score". Woodbine Entertainment. August 14, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  30. ^ "Bison City S. (BT) - 2024". BloodHorse. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  31. ^ "Curlin's Voyage wows in Woodbine Oaks presented by Budweiser". King's Plate. Woodbine Entertainment. August 15, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  32. ^ "Moira puts on quite a show in winning $500,000 Woodbine Oaks". northeastNOW. July 24, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  33. ^ "Woodbine Oaks Presented by Stella Artois (BT) - 2024". BloodHorse. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  34. ^ Morrison, Jennifer (October 25, 2020). "Simply Marvelous! Merveilleux Gets Her Big Win in Wonder Where". Canadian Thoroughbred. Retrieved October 10, 2024.
  35. ^ "2020 Sovereign Award Winners". The Jockey Club of Canada. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  36. ^ "Rafael Manuel Hernandez". Equibase. Achievements. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  37. ^ "Rafael Manuel Hernandez". Equibase. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  38. ^ Ralph, Dan (May 16, 2020). "No quiet time during quarantine for Woodbine jockey Hernandez". The Hamilton Spectator. The Canadian Press. p. S3.
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