Joel Rosario made his return and promptly reclaimed his customary place atop Del Mar

The Hall of Famer was crowned riding champion with 42 victories, overcoming a slow start that saw him claim just one win from his first 30 mounts; Doug O’Neill dominated the trainer standings, while Reddam Racing emerged as the winningest owner

DEL MAR, California (Special for Turf Diario).— A single victory from his first 30 mounts was hardly the prelude to a summer destined to end in a championship. But Joel Rosario knows Del Mar far too well to let a cold streak throw him off course. He returned to California, quickly regained his top form, and walked away with another riding title firmly in hand.

The Dominican native wrapped up the 32-day meet with 42 victories, finishing five clear of defending champion Juan Hernández, who recorded 37. It marked Rosario’s fourth riding title at Del Mar and his first since 2011, adding another sparkling chapter to a career that has already earned him a place in the Hall of Fame.

His return to California generated plenty of buzz, though the opening days proved treacherous. Rosario managed just one win from his first 30 rides and spent much of the opening month chasing from behind while Hernández held the lead.

The tide turned on August 20 when Hernández traveled to England to compete. Rosario seized the opportunity with absolute authority: he won four races on the day, took over the top spot in the standings, and never looked back.

He finished with 42 wins, confirming that his return to the California circuit was far more than a passing visit. Thirteen years after his previous title at Del Mar, he stood atop the standings once more.

Hernández, nonetheless, delivered an outstanding meet. His 37 victories secured second place, and he proved to be the most lethal rider in big-money events, capturing 14 stakes victories—falling just one short of the single-season Del Mar record set by Flavien Prat in 2020.

Antonio Fresu completed the podium in the standings with 32 wins, followed by Umberto Rispoli (27), Emisael Jaramillo (25), and Kazushi Kimura (23).

Among the trainers, dominance belonged to a single name almost from the start: Doug O’Neill. The conditioner closed the summer with 27 victories, ten clear of runner-up and defending champion Bob Baffert. O’Neill built momentum early, firing four wins on day three to catch early leader Michael McCarthy. The following day, he captured the opener to take sole possession of the lead and never relinquished it.

By mid-August, as Rosario was mounting his charge for the jockey title, O’Neill had already established a seven-win cushion. By month’s end, the margin reached double digits and held through closing day.

Baffert finished second with 17 wins but, much like Hernández among the jockeys, found his compensation in the stakes ranks, leading all trainers with six stakes victories. Phil D’Amato finished third with 16, ahead of Peter Miller(15), John Sadler, and George Papaprodromou, both tied with 14.

In the owners' division, Reddam Racing set the pace from opening weekend, winning four races over the first three days and leading wire-to-wire. They closed the meet with nine wins and $810,040 in purses, topping both categories among major owners. Hronis Racing finished second in total wins with six.

Del Mar lowered the curtain on another signature summer season, leaving familiar names written across the top of the leaderboards.

Yet no story proved quite as compelling as Rosario’s. He started 1-for-30, waited for his moment, and ended up in the winner’s circle 42 times. Fifteen years after his first Del Mar title, the familiar face returned to California to prove he still knows precisely how to rule by the Pacific.