Prat Wins Stakes Races to Earn Jockey of the Week

Flavien Prat may have started the racing week on Wednesday at Saratoga and ended it on Monday at Saratoga but in-between, he made a special trip to Del Mar for Saturday's blockbuster card, winning three graded stakes races including their signature event, the Gr. I Pacific Classic. He ended the week on Monday at Saratoga with a Gr. III stakes win. But that's not all, he also was the nation's leading rider by number of wins with 14.

Those accomplishments earned Prat Jockey of the Week for August 29 through September 5. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, honors jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

After riding at Saratoga, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Prat went west to familiar territory at Del Mar where he has won or tied for the riding title five times.  

Riding for Phil D'Amato, Prat was aboard Hong Kong Harry in the Gr. II Del Mar Mile on the turf.  Off as the favorite, Hong Kong Harry closed from sixth in the field of nine and pulled away to win by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:33.15.

"We had a good trip," said Prat. "The pace was strong. I got lucky when I was able to drop myself inside around the turn and he made a good run when I asked him to do it."

In the feature race, the Gr. I Pacific Classic, regular rider Prat was given a leg up on Flightline by trainer John Sadler.  Off as the overwhelming favorite in the field of six, Flightline cruised to a record-setting 19-1/2 length win for the 1-1/4 mile race in 1:59.28.

"When we went into the final turn, he was travelling so well I asked him to pick it up a little bit," said Prat. "As soon as I looked back and saw how far in front he was, I wrapped up on him. Obviously, this is the best horse I ever rode."

Prat capped off a four-win day on Gold Phoenix in the Gr. II Del Mar Handicap for trainer Phil D'Amato.

Gold Phoenix rallied in the middle of the grass course in the final furlong to win by a head in the mile and three-eighths marathon in 2:14.51.

Back at Saratoga on their closing day card, Prat won the Gr. III Bernard Baruch Handicap on Emaraaty going wire-to-wire for leading trainer Chad Brown. It was Prat's fourth stakes win of the meet.

Prat intends to ride the Belmont meet at Aqueduct then Keeneland and the Breeders' Cup before returning to Southern California to ride the winter-spring meet at Santa Anita which begins December 26.

Other nominees for Jockey of the Week were Junior Alvarado who won the Gr. I Jockey Club Gold Cup, Tyler Gaffalione with a graded stakes win at Saratoga, Jose Lezcano who won the Gr. I Spinaway and Irad Ortiz, Jr. who won three graded stakes at Saratoga and the leading rider title for the fourth time.