If any doubt existed before the Del Mar summer meeting, Drayden Van Dyke is a major player in Southern California horse racing.
At 23, the 2012 Lake Hamilton High School graduate clinched his first major riding title on the SoCal circuit Monday. Two wins on the final card gave Van Dyke 42 in 36 racing days, tying for the highest win total at Del Mar since 2014.
Van Dyke won titles at Los Alamitos in 2014, when he received the Eclipse Award as top apprentice jockey, but this marked his first title at Del Mar or Santa Anita in five years on the circuit.
Flavien Prat finished second with 37 victories, Van Dyke overtaking Prat for a 26-25 lead with a meet-tying seven wins Aug. 19.
"It's huge for me and my agent, Brad Pegram," Van Dyke said in the San Diego Union-Tribune. "Flavien put up a hell of a fight. I had a bunch of fans come up to me and say they really enjoyed the jockey battle. He's a fierce competitor, and hopefully we can keep competing like this."
Van Dyke had a meet-high nine stakes victories including Grade 2 scores with Catalina Cruiser in the San Diego Handicap and Pat O'Brien Stakes. Catalina Cruiser and Grade 1 Pacific Classic winner Accelerate totaled three of trainer John Sadler's meet-high eight stakes victories, tying a personal record at Del Mar. Van Dyke rode City of Lights, trained by Mike McCarthy, to victory over Accelerate in April's Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap.
Van Dyke is the regular rider of unbeaten 2-year-old Instagrand, the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes winner Aug. 11 for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. Van Dyke won Saturday aboard two first-time starters trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.
His final win of the meeting came Monday on the Baffert-trained newcomer Rayana, an Arkansas-bred daughter of the late Scat Daddy, going one mile on the turf. Earlier Monday, Van Dyke won the $100,000 Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf with Summering for trainer Tom Proctor.
Van Dyke rode the Baffert-trained Justify in his career debut Feb. 18 at Santa Anita before Hall of Famer Mike Smith piloted the colt to the Triple Crown and a 6-0 career record.
Sports on 09/05/2018