Mired in a career-worst slump and winless on the day, Flavien Prat found a way to win Saturday's 10th and final race at Santa Anita, as he surged late aboard the Phil D'Amato-trained Earls Rock to win the $100,000 Thunder Road Stakes (G3) by a nose while getting a flat mile on turf in 1:34.05.
Away alertly from his rail post in a field of 11 older horses, Earls Rock hugged the rail while midpack to the far turn as Prat bided his time with plenty of horse underneath him. Turning for home, he scraped paint and set after Frankie Dettori aboard Dark Shift and Juan Hernandez aboard Air Force Red as these two were battling head and head past the sixteenths pole.
Just as Air Force Red drifted out a bit, Prat split horses and in a dramatic three-horse photo, he held off the late charge of Umberto Rispoli and Du Jour on the money.
“I've been waiting for this win,” said Prat, an overall nine-time leading rider at Santa Anita who had but six wins through 16 racing days coming into Saturday with zero stakes victories. “I feel very happy for Phil and Mr. Fanticola (owner), they've been great supporters of mine, and I was able to run a good race today.
“(Earls Rock) is always a bit keen. Last time, there was no pace, so I struggled a bit to relax him. Today we had a fair pace and he relaxed well. I was travelling super and when I asked him, he showed me a good turn of foot.”
Idle since taking a 1 1/16 miles turf allowance at Del Mar Dec. 4, Irish-bred Earls Rock, who notched his first graded stakes win, is now unbeaten in four pairings with Prat. Off at 7-2, he paid $9.80 for the win.
A 5-year-old Fascinating Rock gelding owned by Anthony Fanticola, Earls Rock, who was second in his lone Irish start at age 2, is now four for six with D'Amato and is 4-1-1 overall from seven career starts. With the winner's share of $60,000, he increased his earnings to $207,799.
Next to last early, 15-1 Du Jour flew late to just miss while finishing a neck better than Air Force Red.
Forwardly placed throughout, Air Force Red kept the pressure on eventual fifth-place finisher Dark Shift and finished third by half length in front of Argentine-bred Irideo.
Fractions on the race were :22.79, :46.71, 1:10.45, and 1:22.17.
Earls Rock, bred by Newtown Anner Stud, was produced by the Shamardal mare Ajaadat.
THUNDER ROAD QUOTES
TRAINER QUOTES
PHIL D'AMATO, EARLS ROCK, WINNER: “They were all confident, I was like, 'We have to watch this photo, that 2 (Du Jour) was coming on strong.' Luckily we got the bob and it's great to train for Tony Fanticola, who gave me my first start, my Breeders' Cup win with Obviously and Flavien riding that horse and now to win a stake with this horse. Jessica (Pyfer) rides and breezes him for us in the morning, so it was just a great family win here.
“His gallop out (in his last work) was so strong, Jesse's eyes lit up when she pulled him up in the drill and took him to the track. She just said that was spectacular and time wise it was great. This was a step up for him and he proved that he can compete with stakes company.
“That was a Prat ride there, splitting horses and getting up on the wire that's what Flavien Prat does.”
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