Prat Wins Five of Eight Rides on Belmont July 4 Card

Flavien Prat celebrated Independence Day by posting five wins from eight mounts on the 10-race card July 4 at Belmont Park. 

The 30-year-old native of France, said he was pleased to deliver victories for five separate trainers Tuesday as the final weekend at Belmont approaches before live racing moves upstate to Saratoga Race Course for the 40-day summer meet.

"I had good mounts today and thought I could have a good day," Prat said. "It's great to have some confidence and some opportunities from trainers to ride good horses. It's great, going into Saratoga, to have some momentum."

Prat kicked off the card with a stakes victory, taking the featured $125,000 Port Washington with Whatlovelookslike  ($6.10) for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. Whatlovelookslike withstood the challenge of heavy favorite Runaway Rumour  and the inside charge of Golden Rocket  to win her stakes debut in the 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for older New York-bred fillies and mares.

Prat said he felt confident of a good effort from Whatlovelookslike, who is an English Channel filly and a homebred from Barry Schwartz's Stonewall Farm. The 4-year-old filly is out of the Proud Citizen mare Jonata.

"She had some good runs prior to that and I thought she was a filly that was improving race after race. Today was a bit of a step up and she reacted the right way," Prat said.

He returned to the winner's circle in the fourth race with a prominent score aboard favorite Frat Pack  ($4.30), topping a Chad Brown-trained exacta over Magico  in the 6 1/2-furlong maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up. Frat Pack is a son of Upstart  , who was bred in Kentucky by Machmer Hall out of the Warrior's Reward   mare Miss Baby Betty. 

Prat guided the Brendan Walsh-trained Heaven Street  ($8.90) to a gate-to-wire victory in the sixth race, a seven-furlong Widener turf allowance optional-claimer for older horses. The 4-year-old son of Street Sense   was bred by Siena Farm out of the Congrats mare Heavenly View and is raced by Edge Racing and Brent Malmstrom.  

Three races later, Prat steered the George Weaver-trained King Moonracer  ($19.80) to an upset score in a six-furlong Widener turf sprint for state-breds 3 years old and up. Spa City Stables races the 5-year-old gelded son of Mission Impazible  out of the Belong to Me mare Catalina Island. King Moonracer was bred by Sequel Stallions New York, Twin Creeks, and Eisaman Farms New York. 

Prat secured his fifth win in the finale with a deep-stretch surge aboard Highland Grace  ($8.20), a promising American Pharoah   3-year-old bay trained by Barclay Tagg, in a 10-furlong inner turf test for fillies and mares. The filly is a homebred for Joyce "Bonner" Young, who bred her in Kentucky out of her homebred Giant's Causeway grade 2 winner Caroline Thomas. 

"She really gave me a good run down the lane and she should have a bright future," said Prat, who is fifth in the Belmont jockey standings by number of wins with 22 and sixth by purses. He ranks third by total purses with more than $12.8 million among North American riders.

Live racing resumes July 7 at Belmont Park with a 10-race card featuring the $250,000 Manila Stakes (G3). First post is 1:05 p.m. ET.