A strong field of nine is entered in this year’s Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes down the hillside turf course Saturday, Dec. 28 at Santa Anita.

The field is led by Motorious, who just missed pulling off the upset by a neck last month in the Prevagen Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Motorious is tied for the most career wins in this field, seven, with both Irideo and Unconquerable Keen, the former having shown a liking for the course when victorious in the Clocker’s Corner Stakes in January and the latter coming off a win in the Stormy Liberal Stakes four weeks ago. Air Force Red is proven at the level following a runner-up effort at the end of September in the Grade 2 California Crown Eddie D Stakes presented by FanDuel, while Sorrento Sky led late in the Stormy Libera before coming up a half-length short at the end behind Unconquerable Keen. Another pair of possible contenders are Gaslight Dancer and Central Dispatch, both entering the race following strong wins in similar sprint races on turf. Code Duello won the Winter Championship Stakes at Los Alamitos two weeks ago on dirt and hopes to run as well on the grass. Sumter won the Lure Stakes in October but finished 11^th of 12 in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap four weeks ago and hopes to return to top form cutting back from a route to a sprint.

Top contenders:

Irideo gets slight preference as he is likely to go to post at higher odds than Motorious, who comes out of the tougher Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Irideo has been running in allowance level races, however, he has run well enough in his last two races to win this year’s Joe Hernandez Stakes, particularly if he repeats his effort two races ago at six furlongs on the Santa Anita turf course, winning by a half-length and earning a career-best 109 Equibase Speed Figure. Hector Berrios rode Irideo for the first time in nearly a year in that race and then was aboard for his next start on Nov. 16 when Irideo rallied from third and battled down to the wire coming up two heads short of the victory. This past January, Irideo won the Clocker’s Corner Stakes at this 6 ½-furlong trip down the hillside turf at Santa Anita with a 108 figure, the same race where Motorious finished second in last year with a 100 figure. As such, Irideo appears to have the same win probability as Motorious but offers better value.

Motorious. (Alex Evers/Eclipse Sportswire)

Motorious will be favored by bettors off his near upset in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 2, where he was a neck shy of posting the 12-1 upset in a big effort which earned a 109 Equibase Speed Figure. One race prior to that at the same five-furlong trip as the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, Motorious won the Green Flash Handicap with a visually impressive rally from seventh with an eighth of a mile to run.  He equaled his 113 career-best figure in the Green Flash, which he also earned winning the 2023 San Simeon Stakes down this hillside turf course. Similar to Irideo, Motorious moves from a five-furlong race to a 6 ½-furlong downhill turf race and also has prior top form at the trip in the previously mentioned 2023 San Simeon Stakes.  Jockey Antonio Fresu rode Motorious in both of his two recent races and rides back. In his current form there can be little doubt Motorious can win.

Unconquerable Keen is another top turf sprinter in excellent form, having won the Stormy Liberal Stakes on the first day of December. He earned the same 109 figure in that win as Motorious earned when beaten a neck in the Breeders’ Cup and jockey Umberto Rispoli rides him once more. Unconquerable Keen also won the 2023 Stormy Liberal Stakes, earning a career-best 113 figure which equals the best effort Motorious has put forth to date. If there is one question mark, it is that Unconquerable Keen has run twice at this 6 ½-furlong downhill trip and finished seventh both times. Other than that, and particularly based on his most recent effort, Unconquerable Keen must be taken very seriously as a contender in this field.

Honorable mention goes to Air Force Red and to Sorrento Sky. Air Force Red has won four of eight races on the grass at Santa Anita and finished second in two others. He finished second in the Eddie D Stakes at this distance when last seen near the end of September, earning a 110 figure which would be competitive with the top contenders if repeated. On the other hand, the rail can be disadvantageous at this distance because of a right hand turn shortly after the start. Noting that Air Force Red finished second by a head from the rail in the Siren Lure Stakes in the spring of 2023, perhaps it may not be a disadvantage to him. Sorrento Sky gets the advantageous outside post for this distance. His two most recent races were the best of his career, first when winning down the hillside course in October with a 107-figure effort, then when coming up a half-length shy of Unconquerable Keen in the Stormy Liberal Stakes after making the lead early in the stretch. If he repeats that last effort, he could certainly fill out the exacta once again.

The rest of the field, with their best Equibase Speed Figures, is Central Dispatch (100), Code Duello (108), Gaslight Dancer (107) and Sumter (114).

Win contenders, in preference/probability order:

Irideo

Motorious

Unconquerable Keen