DEL MAR – Jockeys have been growing on Antonio Fresu’s family tree for a century.
His great-grandfather began riding in Sardinia in the 1920s. His grandfather and father followed in the family business as did his uncle.
But when Antonio expressed interest in a riding career as a teenager in Italy, his parents objected.
“Love horses? they told me,” Fresu remembered yesterday. “Be a vet. Become a trainer. They thought weight was going to be a problem for me as a rider. I was growing.”
Today, Fresu naturally tips the scales at 5-foot-6, 118 pounds – rather large dimensions for a frontline jockey. “But I know how to live to compete,” said Fresu.
And compete very well. Last year, in his first summer meeting at Del Mar, Fresu finished second in the final jockey standings to champion Juan Hernandez with 31 wins. During the fall, he finished third in the standings behind Hernandez and Flavien Prat.
And with three straight wins last Sunday – the first two for trainer Doug O’Neill who helped bring Fresu to the United States and Southern California – and wins in two of the last three races Thursday, Fresu moved into third in this summer’s jockey race with 18 wins to 26 wins for Hernandez and 21 for Umberto Rispoli.
However, Fresu also leads the meeting with 23 second-place finishes.
“You race to win,” said Fresu. “Sometimes finishing second can be disappointing and frustrating. But it’s better than finishing third or fourth.”
Now 32 years old, Fresu was an Italian riding in Dubai, which is where he met O’Neill in 2021. The trainer tried then to convince Fresu to move to the United States, but the jockey held out until the end of 2022.
Now he feels at home in Southern California.
“I love Santa Anita and Del Mar,” Fresu said. “I grew up close to the water, so Del Mar is perfect. Santa Anita is a beautiful spot and the crowds at Del Mar make it exciting for us. I plan on riding in Southern California for long time. The schedule is perfect. Ride four days each week and have three days off.
“Plus, the competition is really good.”
Fresu and favored Divin Propos ($6.60) held off fast-closing Office Naughty (Umberto Rispoli) in the stretch to win Thursday’s feature — the $78,000 1 3/8-mile marathon allowance on the turf for older Cal-bred horses. Office Naughty rallied from seventh after a mile to miss by a length.
Fresu then won the finale with Jack Kerouac ($7.60). Both of Fresu’s wins Thursday were for trainer Phil D’Amato, who moved into a three-way tie for the trainer’s lead with John Sadler and Bob Baffert at 12 wins.
’Knight retired
Reigning Pacific Classic champion Arabian Knight has been retired from racing.
Just last Sunday, trainer Bob Baffert entered the 4-year-old son of Uncle Mo in Saturday’s Grade 2 Pat O’Brien Stakes, where Arabian Knight was scheduled to take on The Chosen Vron and Senor Buscador over seven furlongs.
But a day later, Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Paris, Ky., announced Arabian Knight is being retired and will begin his stud career in 2025.
Arabian Knight won the 2023 Pacific Classic under Flavien Prat by a neck over the late Geaux Rocket for a third win in a span of four starts. But he then finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic and finished a “disappointing” fourth as the favorite in the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 27 in his first start of 2024.
“He’s sound,” Baffert said of Arabian Knight. “I just couldn’t get him to where he was and I was running out of time. I was disappointed in his race in the San Diego. He’s a really good horse. He just didn’t bring his ‘A’ game. You want to keep horses like that running. The end game was to run him in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.”
Arabian Knight worked five furlongs last Saturday at Del Mar in 1:00.20.
Notable
Hector Berrios was named national Jockey of the Week by the Jockeys’ Guild after he swept last weekend’s Del Mar stakes races – the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks (Iscreamuscream) and the Solana Beach (Moment’s Pleasure) on the turf.
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