DEL MAR : Aaron Gryder Makes Trip ‘Home’ to Ride No Marker in Cabrillo ‘Cap
Aaron Gryder spent a good part of Friday in the air. So, what else is new?
The jockey, who recently turned 20, has been a travelin’ man in 1990.
When Gryder climbs aboard No Marker in today’s $326,300 Cabrillo Handicap, it will mean he has ridden in 10 states this year--California being added to New Jersey, New York, Illinois, Washington, Kentucky, Nebraska, Minnesota, Michigan and Kansas.
No doubt, this will be the most welcome stop on Gryder’s itinerary. The West Covina-born rider’s family will be present this afternoon, and his professional memories of Del Mar are quite pleasant.
The meeting’s leading apprentice in 1987, a few months before he led everybody at Hollywood Park’s fall season, Gryder has developed into a solid journeyman.
His numerous excursions have produced several stakes victories, and he was the leading rider at Churchill Downs in Louisville during its recent meeting, which ended July 2. Currently based at Arlington, near Chicago, he has 15 victories there after starting late and being away much of the time.
Although he’s enjoying himself, Gryder is looking forward to the day when he comes to Southern California for good.
“There’s no place like home,” he said. “I’d like to come back, but I’m not sure when. It might be in a couple of years or when I think the time is right. I feel like I want to prove to myself, that I can go all over and be successful. It’s not easy going in unknown. Fortunately, things have gone very well, and people have accepted me wherever I’ve gone.
“Leading the meeting at Churchill Downs helped make people notice me. Arlington’s the first meeting I’ve repeated, and it’s nice to see that the people who gave me mounts last year are anxious for me to ride for them again this year. I’m happy. When you’re winning, that helps you to be happy.”
No Marker has long been a favorite of Gryder’s. The 6-year-old roan son of Grey Dawn II provided the then 17-year-old jockey with his first stakes victory in the 1987 Tell Handicap at Oak Tree.
More recently, No Marker won the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs on June 23, then, three weeks later, took the Budweiser Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Longacres, near Seattle.
Two weeks ago, the Patricia Johnson-trained horse was a distant second to Dispersal in the Canterbury Cup in Minnesota. Now, continuing his tour of the United States, No Marker will meet a Cabrillo field lacking in quality.
With Criminal Type, Lively One and Quiet American all missing for various reasons, the starting co-highweights at 116 pounds are No Marker and Notorious Pleasure, who is probably a better horse on the turf.
So, this could be a good spot for Gryder to have a profitable homecoming. But his horse ran poorly on this track last year, finishing last in an allowance race on Sept. 1 after being fifth of seven entered in a sprint almost a month earlier.
“I was really excited when Patty (Johnson) called me and asked me to come out,” Gryder said. “I haven’t seen my family since Christmas, and I’ll stay for a couple of days before I go back to Arlington Park.
“I’ve won five races on No Marker. He’s a better horse now than he was in 1987 when I won my first stakes on him. You have to give a lot of credit to Patty Johnson the way she’s been able to keep him in top form.
“He fires every time. When he was second to Disperal (by six lengths), he ran well. Dispersal was just a better horse that day.”
After losing his apprentice allowance, Gryder held his own locally for a while, but when the situation went sour, he decided to work in Northern California.
Looking back, Gryder thinks he might have been too hasty in his decision. “I got too antsy and jumped the gun,” he said. “I probably made my decision too quickly. Maybe I was used to winning more, but I was still riding for (trainers) like Charlie (Whittingham), Craig Lewis and Eddie Gregson, and when you ride for people like that you know it’s going to turn around.”
After spending several months in the Bay Area, Gryder hooked up with agent Harry Hacek and they made their way to the Midwest, but both stay on top of what’s happening in California. “I’m still keeping in touch with everybody and I still have some clients,” Gryder said.
Besides No Marker and Notorious Pleasure, eight other older horses were entered in the Cabrillo, at 1 1/8 miles on the main track.
The other scheduled starters are Charlatan III, who won the Orange County Handicap at Los Alamitos a week ago; Double Quick, fourth in the same race after battling on the pace; Royal Reach, who has six career victories, five on the turf; Silver Circus; Rogue’s Realm; Lowell; Miserden, and Bosphorus.
This field would have seemed to be easy pickings for Quiet American, who upset Bayakoa in the San Diego Handicap three weeks ago. However, trainer Gary Jones decided to wait for Belmont’s Woodward Stakes and a match with Criminal Type.
Horse Racing Notes
Fifteen 3-year-old fillies were entered Friday in Sunday’s $167,900 Del Mar Oaks. Included in the field for the 1 1/8-mile grass race are Nijinsky’s Lover, Orlanova, Slew of Pearls, and foreigners Adorable Emilie, Native Twine and As If. . . . Del Mar will simulcast the $250,000 Longacres Mile Sunday. The stake will be shown between the sixth and seventh races locally. Among the participants are Annual Date, who will be ridden by Gary Stevens; Abergwaun Lad, with Robbie Davis; and T.V. Screen, with Vann Belvoir. . . . Gorgeous, who has been idle since winning the Bayakoa-less Vanity Handicap at Hollywood Park, will make her next start in Belmont’s Ruffian Handicap on Sept. 22.