Flavien Prat returned to the west coast for Del Mar's Fall Meet and proved once again he is one of the preeminent riders in the country. Prat put on a riding clinic on Del Mar's closing weekend with three graded stakes wins and a six-win day on Sunday which vaulted him to the riding title.
Prat was voted Jockey of the Week for Nov. 28 through Dec. 4 by a panel of racing experts. The award honors jockeys for riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
On Saturday, riding for trainer Chad Brown, Prat was in the irons for the second time on east coast invader, Liguria in the G3 Jimmy Durante Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at one mile on the turf. Using his experience from that previous win, Prat guided Liguria to the front entering the stretch to win by 2 1/4 lengths as the favorite in 1:36.16.
“In her previous race, she showed a good turn of foot,” said Prat. “I expected her to run a good race.”
On Sunday, Del Mar's closing day, Prat won on his first four mounts including the G3 Cecil B. DeMille for 2-year-olds aboard Speed Boat Beach for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Sent off as the favorite in the field of seven, Speed Boat Beach tracked the leader Game Time before taking the lead with a furlong to go and posting a half-length win in 1:35.38 for the one mile turf test.
“I got him to relax on the backside and he kicked home very well,” said Prat. “Two turns, that was no problem.”
For his fifth win of the day, Prat was aboard Regal Glory for trainer Chad Brown in the G1 Matriarch. Off as the overwhelming favorite in the field of eight, Regal Glory raced in fourth behind Hamwood Flyer (IRE) who was loose on the lead. Regal Glory rallied with a spectacular turn of foot to finish 5 1/4 lengths in front in 1:33.60 for the one mile on the turf. The Matriarch was Prat's sixth stakes win of the meet.
“I had great respect for Mike's (Smith) filly (Hamwood Flyer) but there was nothing I could do about it then,” said Prat. “My mare had to run her race. Once we got going, I knew we were going to be alright.”
Prat next won the day's final race for his sixth win of the day propelling him to the riding title over Juan Hernandez. It marked the seventh time he has won or tied for a title at Del Mar. Prat plans to ride in California until early spring.
Other contenders for Jockey of the Week were Gerardo Corrales with 11 wins for the week, Juan Hernandez who won the G1 Hollywood Derby, Irad Ortiz, Jr. who set a new single season mark for stakes victories with 77, and John Velazquez who won the G1 Cigar Mile.
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