Less than two months after his arrival from Hong Kong, jockey Umberto Rispoli has been the surprise of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting. Through Feb. 9, Rispoli had cracked the top five in the overall standings with 14 winners and led all riders with 13 wins on turf.

Rispoli, a 31-year-old native of Italy, had his first American stakes win with Billy Batts in the $84,750 Baffle Stakes on Feb. 7, the second of three days at the meeting in which he has won two races. Rispoli arrived from Hong Kong at the urging of jockey agent Ron Anderson. He was unfamiliar to California owners and trainers then. They know him now.