Brad Pegram | Horse Racing Free Tips

Prat Chooses Angel of Empire as His Derby Mount

It was likely a difficult decision, but Flavien Prat has chosen to ride GI Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) over GII Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns (Uncle Mo) in this year's GI Kentucky Derby.

The news was confirmed by trainer Brad Cox, who said he has received assurances from Prat and his agent Brad Pegram that the French-born riding star will be aboard Angel of Empire in the Derby.

“Yes, Prat will ride Angel of Empire in the Derby,” Cox said via text. “We're excited that Flavien is sticking with Angel of Empire. If we can duplicate his run in the Arkansas Derby, we believe that it would be an effort that would make him very competitive in the Kentucky Derby. We're looking forward to May 6.”

After Cox used four different jockeys in Angel of Empire's first five races, he landed on Prat for the Apr. 1 Arkansas Derby and the result was a 4 1/4-length win. The Pennsylvania-bred could be the second choice in the Derby behind Forte (Violence).

Prat will also ride likely GI Kentucky Oaks favorite Wet Paint (Blame) for Cox.

Kingsbarns, who is trained by Todd Pletcher, is undefeated in three starts. After using Luis Saez and Antonio Gallardo, Pletcher went to Prat for the Louisiana Derby and the result was a 3 1/2-length front-running win.

Reached by text, Pletcher said he has yet to secure a rider for Kingsbarns, but several top jockeys should be available.

The post Prat Chooses Angel of Empire as His Derby Mount appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Prat Get Three Stakes Wins Saturday, Increases Lead In Del Mar Jockey Standings

A backstretch confab between jockey Flavien Prat and agent Brad Pegram was interrupted this morning with an impertinent question: “Would you consider Saturday's results adequate?”

Pegram laughed. Prat smiled and gave the day an upgraded rating of “good.”

Good if that's what you consider victories in the first three of five stakes on the program – aboard Private Mission, Mo Forza and Going Global — and a runner-up in the $1 million TVG Pacific Classic with Tizamagician at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

“I messed up the last race (fourth in the Del Mar Handicap on favored United),” Prat allowed. “But in the Classic, I had a good trip and just got beaten in the last part.”

The three stakes victories increased Prat's total to 10 for the meeting. He holds the record for a season of 14, established last year. There are 11 stakes remaining at the meeting but Prat will miss the next two, Friday's $80,000 Tranquility Lake and Saturday's $200,000 Grade 2 Pat O'Brien while on assignment at Saratoga.

The two stakes Saturday that Prat didn't win, went to riders whose success was heartwarming to many. Tiago Pereira, who had started the meeting 0-for-48, drew high praise from trainer John Sadler and owner Kostas Hronis for his ride on Tripoli in the Classic. Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza, seemingly overlooked in the focus on younger talent, guided Astronaut ($50.00) to the Del Mar Handicap score.

“It makes me happy to win this race for John Shirreffs,” said Espinoza, who won the Triple Crown with American Pharoah in 2015. “He's always been there for me and I've been there for him. He's been there for me a little more lately.”

Prat has a 31-23 lead over Juan Hernandez and Abel Cedillo in the overall standings, seeking his third straight riding title and fourth in the last five years.

The post Prat Get Three Stakes Wins Saturday, Increases Lead In Del Mar Jockey Standings appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Prat, Smith Head East For Weekend Saratoga Stakes Engagements

Having doubled the win total of his closest rival with a productive Week 3 of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club meeting in Del Mar, Calif.,, leading rider Flavien Prat was scheduled to ride three races on at the seaside track on Thursday and then head for Saratoga and the big stakes weekend there.

Prat enters Week 4 here with 20 wins from 70 mounts, an impressive 29 percent win rate and has recorded top-three finishes in 63 percent of his starts. The native of France, who marked his 29th birthday on Wednesday, will be in upstate New York on Friday to ride Public Defender (2-1) in the Grade 2 Hall of Fame Stakes for Chad Brown. Prat rides two more for Brown on Saturday – Always Carina in the $500,000, Grade 1 Test Stakes and Flavius in the $120,000 Lure.

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who like Prat is represented by agent Brad Pegram, is also headed to Saratoga with a key assignment being on Secret Protector for Charles Appleby in the $1 million Saratoga Derby Invitational.

Prat and Smith will remain there for Sunday's card where the main event is the $700,000 Saratoga Oaks.

Among those hoping to capitalize in the — “While Prat's away, it's an opportunity to make hay” – sweepstakes at Del Mar are Juan Hernandez, Umberto Rispoli, Abel Cedillo and Kyle Frey.

Hernandez (10 for 72) is second in the standings with Rispoli (9 for 60) and Cedillo (9 for 70) tied for third. Frey (8 for 35) rounds out the top five.

[Story Continues Below]

Saddling 10 winners from 54 starters, Peter Miller, often teaming with Prat, has double the victory total of Bob Baffert (5 for 21). Mark Glatt, Simon Callaghan and Peter Eurton all have recorded four wins in the first 10 days of the meeting.

The post Prat, Smith Head East For Weekend Saratoga Stakes Engagements appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Report: Prat, Longtime Agent Lawson Split; Brad Pegram To Handle Book

Flavien Prat has split from agent Derek Lawson, who has represented Southern California's leading jockey since he came to the U.S. from his native France to ride full time at the end of 2014. Daily Racing Form reported the split and the fact that Prat's hiring of agent Brad Pegram has forced Drayden Van Dyke to make a change.

Pegram has represented both Van Dyke and Hall of Famer Mike Smith, but California rules restrict an agent from having more than two riders.

Van Dyke told Daily Racing Form's Steve Andersen he's “been swamped with calls already” but added that he was going to take a few days to consider options, including relocating to another circuit.

The change will take place effective Feb. 26, according to the report.

Prat did not give a reason for the move, telling Andersen, “I felt like it was time to make a change.”

The 28-year-old Prat has won numerous Southern California riding titles while working with Lawson. He is currently fourth behind Juan Hernandez, Umberto Rispoli and Joel Rosario in the Santa Anita jockey standings, with 19 wins from 113 mounts, a 17% winning percentage. Van Dyke is 5-for-49.

Now in his seventh year riding full time in Southern California, Prat has compiled 987 victories from 4,921 mounts with his horses earning over $76 million. He won the 2019 Kentucky Derby aboard Country House via the disqualification of Maximum Security and has won three Breeders' Cup races.

Van Dyke, a 26-year-old native of Louisville, Ky., has been riding since 2013 and has 721 career wins from 4,530 starts for mount earnings of $45.5 million. Among his 18 Grade 1 victories is a win by Stormy Liberal in the 2018 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

Pegram has close ties to the Bob Baffert stable, with Smith getting many of the Hall of Fame trainer's top horses. Van Dyke has previously ridden a number of Baffert's top young prospects. Pegram is the nephew of longtime Baffert client Mike Pegram and the son of longtime agent Jim Pegram.

The post Report: Prat, Longtime Agent Lawson Split; Brad Pegram To Handle Book appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post