Jockey Bios

Brian "B.J." Hernandez Jr.

Born: November 3, 1985, in Lafayette, Louisiana

Record at Keeneland

Total Wins: 230

Stakes Wins: 18

Career Firsts

First Grade 1 Win: 2012 Whitney Invitational at Saratoga on Fort Larned

First Stakes Win: 2003 Lagniappe at Delta Downs on Our Here Tiz

First Graded Stakes Win: 2006 Indiana Derby (G2) at Hoosier Park on Cielo Gold

First Career Win: Nov. 29, 2003, at Delta Downs on Hughes

Starters in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes

Year	Horse	Finish
2024	Lat Long	9th
2023	Mendelssohns March	6th
2022	Rattle N Roll	6th
2020	Art Collector	1st
2019	Signalman	3rd
2017	McCraken	3rd
2015	Gorgeous Bird	6th
2014	Big Bazinga	4th

At Keeneland

First Keeneland win came during the 2004 Fall Meet when he won 20 races and was the season’s second-leading rider.

First Keeneland stakes win was the 2006 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine on Swingit.

Won 2020 Toyota Blue Grass (G2) aboard Art Collector during five-day Summer Meet.

Frequently rides for trainer Kenny McPeek. During the 2023 Spring Meet, they teamed to win the Central Bank Ashland (G1) with Defining Purpose and the Ben Ali (G3) with Rattle N Roll. During the 2021 Fall Meet, the pair won the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) with Rattle N Roll.

Another McPeek runner Hernandez rode was Restless Rider, winner of the 2018 Darley Alcibiades (G1).

Hernandez and his younger brother, Colby Hernandez, recorded a unique feat on April 10, 2021: Brian won the Stonestreet Lexington (G3) aboard King Fury in the race after Colby scored his first Keeneland stakes victory aboard Change of Control in the Giant's Causeway (L).

Career

Triple Crown win: 2024 Kentucky Derby on Mystik Dan

Breeders’ Cup wins (2): 2012 Classic aboard Fort Larned (on the jockey’s 27th birthday); 2024 Distaff on Thorpedo Anna.

Won the 2004 Eclipse Award as outstanding apprentice jockey when he won 243 races and his mounts earned $4,401,867. He won stakes at Fair Grounds, Churchill Downs, Remington Park and Delta Downs during the year.

Win the 2024 Mike Venezia Memorial Award, presented annually to a jockey who displays extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship.

North American career earnings exceed $143 million with 2,638 wins through Dec. 18, 2024.

2,000th win came Dec. 19, 2019, at Fair Grounds on Afleet Roger

1,000th win came Aug. 18, 2012, at Ellis Park on Wildandcrazyguy.

Rode future Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra in her first five races as a 2-year-old in 2008.

Sister Courtney Hernandez won her first race as a jockey on March 14, 2014, at Delta Downs.

Click here for his Equibase career record.

Background

B.J.’s father, Brian Hernandez Sr., was a jockey, and his younger brother Colby Hernandez currently rides. His younger sister Courtney Hernandez also has ridden. Brian, or “B.J.”, began galloping horses for trainer Dale Angelle at age 12 and began his riding career at Delta Downs in November 2003, exercising horses in the mornings before high school classes and riding at night. After graduating from high school in May 2004, he headed to Churchill Downs, where he rode for a few weeks before returning to Louisiana and capturing his first riding title at Evangeline Downs.

On Feb. 1, 2019, Colby Hernandez recorded his 2,000th win at Fair Grounds. He won three Keeneland stakes in 2021: the Buffalo Trace Franklin County (G3), the Giant's Causeway (L) on Change of Control and the Rubicon Valley View (G3) on Navratilova.