Who is Southern California’s best jockey?
That simple question had a simple answer for a few years after Juan Hernandez moved from Northern California and won 16 of 20 riding titles at Santa Anita and Del Mar meets between 2021 and 2025.
Hernandez is still here. But Umberto Rispoli, Emisael Jaramillo and Antonio Fresu have led in wins at the past three major-track meets. And the improvement of Armando Ayuso and Ricky Gonzalez, the return of Joel Rosario and the promise of Kazushi Kimura have made future jockey standings harder to predict.
Since future Racing Hall of Famer Flavien Prat went east to chase bigger purses beginning in 2022, the California tracks have a roster of jockeys characterized by particular strengths and weaknesses.
For bettors, it’s important to get up to date on who’s good on the main (dirt) track or the turf course, in sprints or longer races and with front-runners or closers, and who may be underrated. I pored over 2026 statistics and sought opinions from half-dozen public handicappers, some of whom asked for anonymity so they could speak bluntly. Here’s a look at the top tier of local jockeys as the Del Mar summer season enters its second week.
NUMBER JUAN
Juan Hernandez, 34, remains No. 1 because he has no glaring weaknesses and has proven himself repeatedly in graded-stakes competition. He even made an international splash in June by scoring a rare win by a U.S. jockey at Royal Ascot. He hasn’t slowed down even after top client Bob Baffert moved many of his best horses to Kentucky in April.
But Hernandez has lapses. One handicapper called his ride in the first race of the Del Mar meet last Friday, cooking favorite Hard to Figure by taking an open lead on the backstretch, “inexplicable.”
GIVING CHASE
Emisael Jaramillo: The 49-year-old arrived from Florida last winter at the behest of trainer Doug O’Neill and immediately led in wins at Santa Anita’s Classic and Hollywood meets combined. His knack for popping horses out of the gate quickly makes him especially strong with front-runners on the main track.
“Jaramillo is clearly the best speed rider, maybe the best we’ve had in Southern California since P. Val (Patrick Valenzuela),” handicapper Bob Ike said. “He is sometimes worth a length or two at the gate, which is a huge asset.”
Armando Ayuso: On the rise since coming from the Bay Area three years ago, he has been strong in all conditions and a profitable bet in two-turn races on dirt and turf. One handicapper said his versatility makes Ayuso, 32, a newer version of Hernandez.
To see how good he can be, watch video of Ayuso’s ground-saving ride from the No. 10 post on 35-1 Somerset West to win the Grade II San Clemente Handicap at Del Mar on Saturday.
Umberto Rispoli: A hair-raising ride in Journalism’s 2025 Preakness victory sums up Rispoli, 37. Said handicapper Jon Lindo: “(He’s) better on turf than dirt, and rides most dirt horses like grass horses, as he prefers to cover up horses and angle into a clear path to finish.” That style can lead to inconsistency.
Hector Berrios: Either Berrios, 39, or Rispoli is the best turf rider in Southern California. But Berrios’ ordinary overall stats will cause many fans to overlook his value in more tactically demanding turf races and on the come-from-behinders that dominate the grass.
Antonio Fresu: He’d rate near the top of this group when he’s going well, but as one handicapper said, he’s “kind of a streaky rider.” Fresu, 34, had more front-running wins at Santa Anita this year than anybody but Jaramillo. He also finishes well; by my count, he won his first 12 photo finishes – races decided by a nose, head or neck – at Santa Anita.
Kazushi Kimura: The ambitious 26-year-old should climb this list. Right now, Kimura’s style is giving him more success on dirt than turf. As one handicapper said: “Always aggressive. Sometimes too aggressive and moves too early.”
Joel Rosario: We’ll see where the 41-year-old Hall of Famer and Kentucky Derby winner (with Orb) settles in the Southern California standings, but he’s off to a good start since coming here from the tough eastern circuits in May. He has been better in sprints than routes.
Ricky Gonzalez: He has one of the highest win percentages in Southern California in dirt sprints. One handicapper mentioned the 31-year-old in the same sentence as Ayuso as an improving rider who’s earning more chances from big stables.
Edwin Maldonado: At 43, Maldonado continues to embrace his front-running reputation. More than 60% of his winners this year led at every call in the result charts.
NOT TO BE OVERLOOKED
Mike Smith: Winning rides like the one on So Happy in the Santa Anita Derby make him, at 60, the best of the aging Hall of Famers active here.
Tiago Pereira: He’s a good fit on come-from-behinders. Handicapper Eddie Wilson said of Pereira, 39: “He’s just as talented as the top flight, and you’ll often get more value (in the odds) on his horses.”
Cesar Belmont: In his first full year in California, at age 22. He has ridden six betting favorites in 2026 and won with five of them.
Kyle Frey and Abel Lezcano: Paired here because they’re examples of jockeys who must be respected especially when they ride for certain top trainers – Frey, 34, for Jeff Mullins, and Lezcano, 36, for Mark Glatt.
That’s a snapshot of the Southern California’s jockeys right now. It can change, and, based on what we’ve seen in the past couple of years, almost certainly will.
Who’s best? The answer varies, depending on the demands of the horse and race.
Follow horse racing correspondent Kevin Modesti at X.com/KevinModesti.