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.

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