Photo:

Alex Evers / Eclipse Sportswire

Santa Anita’s 16-day autumn meet ended Sunday with Juan Hernandez on top of the jockey’s standings, Bob Baffert winning the trainer’s title and Harris Farms leading all owners in wins.

For Hernandez, a 32-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico, this was his seventh riding title at Santa Anita. He finished the meet with 25 wins from 103 mounts, a 24 percent rate, with 10 more victories than runner-up Umberto Rispoli. Hernandez also led all jockeys in purse earnings with $1,566,410. His biggest wins came in the Grade 2 Oak Leaf Stakes aboard Non Compliant for Baffert, the Anoakia Stakes on Silent Law for Baffert and the Swingtime Stakes with Queen of the Mud for trainer Graham Motion.

Baffert won the trainer’s title by a single win over Phil D’Amato. On closing day, Baffert got the deciding victory when promising 2-year-old filly Cipriani won her debut in a maiden special weight going six furlongs.

Baffert finished the meet with 14 wins from 44 starters, a 32 percent rate. He also led all trainers in purse earnings with $1,313,146. This was Baffert’s first trainer’s title at Santa Anita since the 2020 autumn meet. His biggest wins came in the American Pharoah (G1) with Citizen Bull, the Oak Leaf with Non Compliant and the Anoakia with Silent Law.

Harris Farms, a longtime pillar of California racing and breeding, claimed its first owner’s title at Santa Anita meet. Led by John Harris, Harris Farms won four races from 11 starters to top the standings.

Racing will return to Santa Anita with its traditional day-after-Christmas opening on Thursday, Dec. 26.