Dettori rides six straight winners and punter collects $200,000 for $2 bet
In the unlikely event English jockey Frankie Dettori ever doubted himself in postponing his retirement and extending his career by relocating to Los Angeles, he got emphatic evidence that it was the right thing to do when he rode six consecutive winners at Santa Anita, earning one punter a $213,083 payout for a $2 bet.
The feat brought back memories of the day at Ascot in 1996 when he first became a household name by going through the card riding all seven winners in what has subsequently been dubbed his ‘magnificent seven.’ At Santa Anita on Sunday (AEDT) he had 11 rides but in the middle of them fired off the six winners in a row.
One week after a quietish Dubai World Cup night by his standards, Dettori, 53, was back in America in unstoppable form on Santa Anita Derby day and it rendered him almost speechless for once.
“I adore this place and to be able to say that I won six races on Santa Anita Derby day is beyond my wildest dreams,” said the jockey. “I don’t know how to put it into words. Is it real? Am I dreaming? Is this really happening? It’s incredible. I just don’t know what to say.”
Throughout his career Dettori was always the prime example of a ‘confidence jockey’, with one winner more than likely to be followed by another as he grew in self belief. That works in inverse, too, as Royal Ascot 2022 proved when things went from bad to worse and he had to take a sabbatical from his No1 role with trainer John Gosden shortly afterwards.
He set the ball rolling with Ball Don’t Lie in a maiden before Recinto Rompere won a claimer and Roberta’s Love took the Evening Jewel Stakes. Kathynmarissa won the next maiden before Nothing Like You won the Santa Anita Oaks and Royal Charter made it six before Imagination bucked the trend, finishing second in the Grade One Santa Anita Derby. “He’s just a phenomenon,” said trainer Bob Baffert. “He’s world-class and has brought his talent to every stage.”
Six of the best … Frankie Dettori at Rosehill during a visit to Sydney.Credit: Steven Siewert
Aidan Butler, chief executive of the company which owns Santa Anita, said: “What can I say… Frankie put on a show on the biggest stage once again. It was brilliant for all the fans at Santa Anita to witness a master at work.”
It took Dettori’s tally this season at Santa Anita to 34 winners from 162 rides with prize money totalling $4.8 million. He is fourth in the jockeys’ table which is led by Juan Hernandez on 52 wins.
