Arcadia, California: Just when he thought he ‘had ridden them all’, it was a first time experience for Triple Crown-winning jockey Victor Espinoza, thanks to the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival.

Ezpinoza, who became the first Triple Crown-winning jockey in 37 years when he guided Bob Baffert’s American Pharoah to victory in the 2015 Belmont Stakes, contested in his first ever race on a Purebred Arabian horse and emerged victorious.

It was a pairing of two stars — Paddys Day just after winning yet another pair of US Darley Awards the previous night and the man with over 3200 wins, Espinoza. And they obliged as Espinoza and Paddys Day demolished their 11 other rivals in the Grade I, $100,000 HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Award Stakes at Santa Anita racecourse on Saturday.

The Scott Powell-trained Paddys Day finished ahead of Easter Man under Edwin Maldonado, while in third place was Sand Victor under Hugo Herrera.

“In 20 to 30 years I thought I had ridden them all but this was my first ever experience with an Arabian horse. He did not give up just like a thoroughbred horse; it was just that the pace was a bit slower,” Espinoza said.

“This horse was full of run going into the far turn; we just had to find a way through. It’s an honour to be a part of this race.”

It was the second running of the Grade I, $100,000 HH Shaikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Darley Award Stakes and also a huge relief for trainer Scott Powell, as Paddys Day was beaten by Thess Is Awesome in a shock win last year when the Arabian race made its debut at Santa Anita.

“We thought we could win this race last year and we finished second, so this is really sweet. He definitely put it all together today,” said Scott, who was named Best Trainer for 2016 in the Darley US Awards held on Friday night while Paddys Day scooped the Older Horse and Horse of the Year Award for 2016.

Meanwhile, Baffert’s world champion Arrogate returned to his Santa Anita base around noon time on Saturday, looking amazingly fresh, considering he’d just come out of quarantine at Los Angeles International Airport following a roughly 20,000 mile round trip trek to Dubai, which resulted in a sensational 2 ¼ length win in the $10 million Dubai World Cup.

Arrogate’s Hall of Fame jockey Smith was also present at the Santa Anita racetrack.

“This is exciting, I’ve been praying since the race was over to get him back home,” said Smith. “He had so much turbulence in the race, he didn’t need any in the air!” he said in reference to the rough start Arrogate was able to overcome in Dubai.

Smith along with other top jockeys received a cheque of $150,000 on behalf of the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF) from the HH Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Global Arabian Horse Flat Racing Festival and Santa Anita Park in the presence of Keith Brackpool, Chairman, Santa Anita Park.

“We greatly appreciate what the HH Shaikh Mansour Festival is doing for PDJF,” said Smith.