When a jockey wins two races in one afternoon, he enjoyed a successful day. Three victories mean a banner afternoon and four will certainly generate Buzz among racing fans and horse players.
But what about it seven Win in one day? Only on the rarest occasions will a jockey start such a memorable win -streak. During the first 69 years in Del Mar in California, No Jockey succeeded in winning more than six races on a single card.
Then on 4 September 2006, Victor Espinoza won seven.
It was Labor Day, the penultimate day of the annual summer meeting, and Espinoza put the finishing touches to a hugely successful meeting. The Sterjockey had dominated DL Mar for weeks, and by the time the meeting concluded that he would have 64 victories on his credit, which was the highest victory by a Jockey since 1993. While the meeting was lost, Bob Mieszerski brought Bond with the Spinoza’s success The Los Angeles Times: “Nobody is Sorrier to see the end of Del Mar than Victor Espinoza.”
Indeed, on that unforgettable day of work it seemed as if Espinoza could not do anything wrong.
The afternoon started in a successful but not particularly remarkable fashion for the future jockey of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and fan favorite California Chrome. Assigned to ride the overwhelming favorite place on the diplomat in the I Smokin Stakes, Espinoza led the gelding to a 2 ¾ length victory with a tense of 1-10.
Half an hour later, Espinoza 4-5 favorite specific rule rode to an easy victory in a maiden claiming Race, which led to five lengths. Then Espinoza had to work a little harder on board preachinattrob in the Windy Sands Handicap, but brought the 2.40-1 second choice to fight 1 ¼ lengths in the front.
Three races, three rides, three winners. Espinoza started sharp, and he held the momentum on board Dream’s in the fourth race, and led the 3.20-1 shot from tight neighborhoods to gather and win a fee that Race claimed with 1 ¼ lengths.
A first special weight for California-Breds was the following on the map, and Espinoza riding on its wave of success-dedicated 9-5 Second choice of Swiss ski through traffic to romp home with 3 ½ lengths. Split horses? Inside Rally? No problem. Espinoza and Swiss ski closed through traffic as a slalom skier who maneuvers between poles.
Halfway through the 10-race card, Espinoza had won each race and a record-breaking day appeared on the horizon. History was in reach and Espinoza never had to break a sweat while securing his sixth victory, which came from 8-5 favorite malt magic in a first special weight race. The 2-year-old foal led all the way to win with 9 ½ lengths, with Espinoza over the finish line.
The glorious streak came to a temporary stop when Mount Tuffin by Espinoza falls short in the seventh race to finish third, but this defeat was followed by the play race of the dag-the $ 250,000 degree 1 del mar debutante stakes on 8-5-5-5-year-old.
Espinoza and Baffert have worked famous to win the Kentucky Derby from 2002 with War Emblem, a historical victory without a doubt, but they were ready to make the history of a different kind in Del Mar. When the starting gates opened, Espinoza Point Ashley in third place, five to six length behind BlaashiLmi fractions of: 21.25 and: 44.17.
Espinoza then asked his anti -fools to continue, and seven victories transferred in one day from dream to reality. With a decisive speed outburst, Point Ashley rolled past the leaders and drove to an undisputed triumph of 2 ½ length.
For the first time, a Jockey had won seven races in one day in Del Mar.
“Incredible, incredible,” surprised Espinoza in the 5 September 2006 edition of Owensboro, KY. Messenger-Inquirer: “Today is a day that I will never forget.”
According to Espinoza it was a day on the same footing with winning the Kentucky Derby.
“When I started driving, I said I wanted to win the Kentucky Derby and did something like that – win a whole series of races on a song in one day,” Espinoza continued. “To do it in Del Mar – and in a race like this – this is very, very special. The people behind me – my agent, the riders who give me such great horses and the fans here – make this all special.”
In the years after the glorious Van Espinoza, Zeven-Win Labor Day, his del Mar-record was matched (by Drayden van Dyke in 2018) but never exceeded. It is a series of success that can forever endure the test of time.
** This article was originally published in 2019 and was updated **
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