HALLANDALE BEACH - Jockey Diego Herrera closed out his first full meet outside Southern California Monday at Gulfstream Park while celebrating his first riding title with an 88-82 edge over Samy Camacho during the Royal Palm Meet.

    The up-and-coming 22-year-old jockey made the career decision to move his tack following his Jan. 24 visit to Gulfstream to ride British Isles in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational. Although the best British Isles could do was a fifth-place finish, Herrera came away from the experience with such a positive impression that he took agent Kevin Meyocks up on his offer to handle his book at Gulfstream – but not before notching his first Gr. 1 stakes win by guiding British Isles to victory in the Santa Anita Handicap on March 7.

    “I’m very blessed and fortunate to be in this position," Herrera said. "My agent has done a tremendous job. He gave me a call toward the end of March and I took a leap of faith and trusted in him,” Herrera went on after guiding Bail Us Out ($4.20) to victory in Monday’s Race 5 to collect his 100th overall win of the year. “I can’t thank the owners, trainers, grooms, and all the people that work hard every day in the morning enough. I’m so pleased to be in this position.”

    Herrera, who made it to Gulfstream on March 19 for the tail end of the 2025-2026 Championship Meet, quickly established himself as a force during the Royal Palm Meet that got underway on April 2. Herrera and Camacho were locked in a tight battle for the top spot in the jockey standings right up until the final weekend.

    “I’m very happy with my decision, whether I won the meet or not,’’ Herrera said.

    Herrera, who enjoyed 30 multi-win days and 16 consecutive racing days with at least one win during the meet, is looking forward to continuing his success during the Sunshine Meet that gets underway Friday and, farther down the road, the 2026-2027 Championship Meet that opens Thanksgiving Day.

    “I’m looking forward to meeting new people and experiencing a new jockey colony and having new opportunities,” he said.

    The son of a Quarter Horse owner, the Inglewood, Calif. native began riding Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses in Southern California at the age of 15 ½ while taking online classes to earn his high school diploma at Lennox Academy.

    Wesley Ward-trained Bacio (Maclean’s Music – Katie’s Kiss, by Kantharos) shipped to England and took down several of Europe's top turf sprinters in the Gr. I Nunthorpe Stakes at York Racecourse, earning a fees-paid berth into the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland in October and leading the slate of stakes-winning OBS graduates for the week.

    Bacio won two of three starts during his juvenile campaign in 2025 and has gone a perfect 3-for-3 so far this season, twice shipping to England to defeat international competitors. The son of Maclean's Music, who was bred in Kentucky by Torie Gladwell, Cincinnati Equine, Borrowdale, Knollwood Farm, and partners, took a handicap race during the Royal Ascot meeting in June and stepped up with aplomb against older competitors while making his group/graded debut in the Nunthorpe. 

    Owned by My Racehorse/Gladwell/Dailey/Dejablu, Bacio was offered at the 2025 OBS March Sale by the Top Line Sales consignment but failed to meet his reserve after breezing in :9 4/5.

    At Del Mar, Proletariat (Raging Bull (FR)—Kodiak West (IRE), by Kodiac (GB)) made every pole a winner en route to a 1 ¼-length victory over fellow OBS graduate Bust Out in the Gr. II Del Mar Derby.

    Trained by Jeff Mullins for owners Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures, Proletariat was purchased at the 2025 OBS March Sale by his owners for $200,000 from the GOP Racing Stable consignment after breezing in :10 flat.

    At Woodbine, St. Elias Stable, BAG Racing Stables, Turf Express, Inc and Watkins Diamond Stables’ Reagan’s Flame (Flameaway – Mizzen Donald, by Mizzen Mast) made light work of a short field to take the $175,000, Gr. III Seaway Stakes at the Toronto oval. 

    Reagan’s Flame also enjoyed Woodbine success in early May, winning the Gr. III Whimsical for new trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. She was purchased by dual classic-winning trainer Cherie DeVaux for $185,000 at the 2023 OBS April Sale from the consignment of Eddie Woods after breezing in :10 1/5.

    At Saratoga Race Course, KatieRich Stables’ Gr. 1-winner Iron Orchard (Authentic- Onebrethatatime, by Brethren) flexed her class with a return to winning form in the $200,000 Fleet Indian, a nine-furlong test for sophomore New York-bred fillies. 

    Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, the daughter of Authentic previously captured the Gr. 1 Frizette last October while under the care of trainer Danny Gargan. Iron Orchard was purchased by Bill Childs and Mark Stanton for $500,000 from the Grassroots Training and Sales consignment at the 2025 OBS April Sale where she breezed in :9 4/5.

    At Parx Racin, Micanopy (Uncle Chuck—Golden Horseshoe, by Belong to Me) scored the first stakes victory of his career in the $200,000 Smarty Jones Stakes, winning by 1 1/2 lengths. The 3-year-old gelding, trained by Michael Simone for owner Jane Perry, was offered at the 2025 OBS April Sale by the Journeyman Bloodstock Services consignment where he failed to meet his reserve after breezing in :21 4/5.

     Also at Parx, Fire Pit (Cairo Prince—True Martha, by Creative Cause) annexed the $75,000 State Representative's Sprint Stakes by three-quarters of a length. The victory gave the 4-year-old colt the first stakes victory of his career. Trained by Guadalupe Preciado for owner Travin Stables, Fire Pit was purchased by his owner for $35,000 from the Randy Miles consignment at the 2024 OBS April Sale after breezing in :10 2/5.