Frankie Dettori enjoyed another famous night in his incredible career, as he rode six consecutive winners at Santa Anita in California.
The 53-year-old who has ridden more than 3,300 career winners, abandoned plans to retire late last year, in order to continue racing in the United States.
That decision looks to have paid off on a historic night at Santa Anita, where he fell just one short of the all-time record for number of winners at one meeting at the racecourse.
He also fell one short of his ‘Magnificent Seven’ of winners on the card at Ascot in September 1996, at odds of over 25,000-1.
His victories on Saturday night came at cumulative odds of more than 75,000-1.
Frankie Dettori won six straight races at Santa Anita in California on Saturday evening
Dettori does his famous leap off Nothing Like You after winning on the 10-1 horse
He was one short of his ‘Magnificent Seven’ at Ascot back in September 1996 (pictured)
After the meeting, he said: ‘I adore this place and to be able to say I won six races on Derby day is beyond my wildest dreams.
‘I don’t know how to put it into words. Is it real? Am I dreaming? Is this really happening? It’s incredible. I just don’t know what to say.’
His six winners came at odds of 9-4, 6-1, 12-1, 9-2, 10-1 and 10-3.
Dettori had 11 rides in total on Saturday, missing out on victory in his first race, before taking six consecutive wins.
He came close to matching the record at the racecourse, as the following race he came second on 5-4 favourite Imagination in the Grade One Santa Anita Derby.
Bob Baffert, trainer of 10-1 winner Nothing Like You, said: ‘He’s (Dettori) just a phenomenon.
‘He is world class and has brought his talent to every stage.’
One more victory would have seen him match the 37-year-long record held by Laffit Pincay Jr at Santa Anita with seven straight wins in March 1987.
Dettori had planned to retire last year before opting to continue his career in the United States
Confirming a rethink of retirement, Dettori, in October, said he feels re-invigorated by the new challenge and relocating to the west coast of America with wife Catherine.
Feeding into Dettori’s decision is how well he was received when riding at Santa Anita at the start of 2023 when he landed 25 wins from 157 rides, scooping $2,123,496 (approximately £1.74m) in prize money.
Dettori told Mail Sport: ‘I am the sort of person who gets stale so I needed a new challenge. What else is left for me here? Repetition, doing the same thing again? That’s why this new adventure will fit me like a glove.
‘It would have been much easier for me to accept retirement if I had not been doing well. Things have turned out completely opposite to how I thought they would.
‘I expected that I would be saying my last goodbyes and my rides would fizzle out. I thought I would go out by the backdoor and disappear into the sunset.
Dettori has picked up more than 3,300 wins during his iconic jockey career
‘But I went to America and it was a great success. I came back and I won the 2,000 Guineas, the Oaks, the Juddmonte International, the Prix Jacques Le Marois and had four wins at Royal Ascot. It has been non-stop.
‘My ratio of rides to winners in Group races has been through the roof. The popularity and the success I have had has made me rethink.
‘I spoke to Catherine and my parents. I said, “I am doing so well I am not ready to let go’’. I thought what’s the options? To do one more year in England. I have achieved everything here so was that a big enough incentive?
‘I loved it in California last year. The lifestyle suits me much better. The weather is great, there is no travelling. It’s a new challenge taking on the Americans in their backyard and I will try to win the Kentucky Derby. They are all the things that make me tick.’