Flavien Prat celebrated Independence Day by posting five wins from eight mounts on Tuesday's 10-race card at Belmont Park.
The 30-year-old native of Melun, Seine-et-Marne, 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 [No. 5, $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.
“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 Race 4 with a prominent score aboard Frat Pack [No. 4, $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.
Prat guided the Brendan Walsh-trained Heaven Street [No. 6, $8.90] to victory in Race 6, a seven-furlong Widener turf allowance optional-claimer for older horses; and returned three races later to guide the George Weaver-conditioned King Moonracer [No. 9, $19.80] to an upset score in a six-furlong Widener turf sprint for state-breds 3-years-old and up.
The four-time Breeders' Cup winning rider secured his fifth win in the Race 10 finale with a deep-stretch surge aboard Highland Grace [No. 5, $8.20], a promising American Pharoah bay trained by Barclay Tagg, to capture the 10-furlong inner turf test for fillies and mares.
“She really gave me a good run down the lane and she should have a bright future,” Prat said.
Live racing resumes Friday at Belmont Park with a 10-race card featuring the Grade 3, $250,000 Manila in Race 9. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.
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