flavien prat | Horse Racing Free Tips

War Horse Ward ‘N Jerry Chasing Second Win In The Tin Man Turf Starter Distance Series

Ward 'n Jerry, an old war horse that has been with trainer Mike Puype so long he's considered part of the family, seeks his second victory in Saturday's “The Tin Man Turf Starter Distance Series” at Santa Anita Park.

Ward 'n Jerry won the second leg of the challenging marathon on Feb. 20, coming from well off the pace as usual to take the mile and a quarter turf event by a head as the 4-5 favorite under Flavien Prat who is back aboard Saturday.

The “Tin Man” series provides distance-progressive opportunity for older horses that have started for a claiming price of $40,000 or less dating back to 2019 to run in four races that began at a mile and one eighth on Jan. 18 and will conclude at a mile and three-quarters on April 24.

In addition to the winner's share from this Saturday's Tin Man, the winner will get a free berth into either the Grade 2, $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 ¼ miles on turf May 29, or the Grade 3, $100,000 San Juan Capistrano at 1 ¾ miles on turf June 19.

The series is named in honor of Ralph and Aury Todd's homebred son of Affirmed, The Tin Man, who was foaled in 1998 and raced through age nine in 2007. Trained by Richard Mandella, The Tin Man was a multiple graded stakes winner and a two-time Grade 1 winner at age nine, after which he was retired with earnings of more than $3.6 million.

“Our hope is this distance series serves as a throwback to some of the legendary horses that have competed at Santa Anita and the races provide good betting opportunities,” said Santa Anita's Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Chris Merz.

“This race came up a lot tougher than the last one,” said Puype, who has had California-bred Ward 'n Jerry going on six years now for owners/breeders Mr. and Mrs. Larry Williams, longtime successful supporters of racing in The Golden State.

“This is a very solid race for the purse level, no doubt ($47,000, plus up to $5,640 to Cal-bred winners),” Puype said. “You've got Oscar Dominquez and Red King (each a Grade 2 stakes winner) running for $47,000. Tartini's not bad, either, so it's no easy race by any stretch.

“But we've surely got a good chance. He's got a great rider (Flavien Prat, who pilots the 8-year-old Lucky Pulpit gelding for the eighth time, winning twice); we're ready to go.”

Ward 'n Jerry has a 7-2-4 record from 27 starts with earnings of $434,419.

“I've had Ward 'n Jerry since his 2-year-old season (back in 2015),” Puype said. “He's very nice to have around and it's nice to have a horse for that many years. He's been here longer than any of them. He's kind of like the chairman of the board at the barn.”

Leg three of The Tin Man series, which goes as race five: Lure Him In, Edwin Maldonado, 5-1; Red King, Umberto Rispoli, 5-2; Ward 'n Jerry, Flavien Prat, 3-1; New Year, Tyler Baze, 50-1; Oscar Dominguez, Mario Gutierrez, 4-1; The Stiff, Alexis Centeno, 12-1; Tartini, Juan Hernandez, 4-1; and Irish Heatwave, Abel Cedillo, 8-1.

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Triple Tap, American Pharoah’s Half Brother, Wins Debut Impressively For Baffert

Can Bob Baffert do it again? High expectations naturally follow a man that has saddled six Kentucky Derby winners and two Triple Crown Champions. On Saturday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., the white-haired wonder unveiled a 3-year-old half brother to 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, and the result certainly validated his post time odds of 1-5 as he accelerated impressively the final eighth of a mile to register a 4 ¼-length win while getting seven furlongs in 1:23.12.

By top sire Tapit out of Littleprincessemma, by Yankee Gentleman, Triple Tap was head and head with early leader Eyes Open around the turn and easily gained the advantage at the top of the stretch. With Prat employing just one backhanded tap of the stick to his right shoulder, Triple Tap appeared to level in the final furlong in an effort that evoked memories of Baffert's 2018 Triple Crown Champ, Justify, who made his rollicking seven furlong debut on Feb. 18, 2018 at the same distance.

Perhaps equally as important as the way he handled the seven furlongs, was the fact he galloped out far in front of the field, approximately 80 yards in front of his competition at the seven furlong pole.

“It went well and he rated kindly,” said Baffert. “When Prat asked him to go, he took off. He looked like he was in control of the race and Flavien worked him the other day for me and he really loved him. He usually doesn't say too much.

“When he came back, he said it was nothing for him, he was just getting going here in the end, so that's good sign.”

So, is the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby next on the agenda?

“It's going to be a little difficult, the thing is, we don't (want) to rush him, so we're not even thinking about that right now…I want to get this race out of the way and then we're gonna talk about it and figure out what we're gonna do.

“He won nice, it looks like he can go two turns easily, I just like what I saw today. I really didn't want to go seven eighths with him. The further the better with him…I gotta thank track management here for letting us run these great horses in short fields.”

Owned and bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Equine, Triple Tap paid $2.40 to win as his stablemate Barraza ran on for the place in a field of four sophomores.

“He broke well, we were right with the leader, which was good,” said Prat, fresh off of a remarkable six-win day on Friday. “It felt like he was just starting to stretch his legs and he galloped out strong.”

Fractions on the race were 23.31, 46.63 and 1:10.97.

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Prat Wins Six Consecutive Races At Santa Anita

Although he finished second in Friday's first race, Santa Anita's leading rider Flavien Prat was very much undeterred, as he proceeded to boot home the winners of the next six consecutive races, culminating with a masterful ride going a mile and one quarter on turf in the seventh race of the day at the Arcadia, Calif., track aboard the Richard Baltas-trained Disappearing Act—his final mount of the day.

“It's been a great day, I'm very fortunate, I was on good horses today and things turned out my way,” said Prat, 28, who now leads Santa Anita's Winter/Spring Meet jockey standings by a 56-42 margin over Juan Hernandez.

Does winning number six in a row at a mile and a quarter down the hillside turf course make this accomplishment any more special?

“When you win six, it doesn't really matter, but it feels good,” said Prat. “The turf course is really good. With the rain we've had, I thought they did a crazy job getting it in shape and it's been a pleasure to ride on it. I thought I had some good chances today, but how many times have I thought I had a good chance and come back with nothing?

“Things have to go your way and some things are out of my hands, but there are days that no matter what you do, it's going to be the right thing, so you have to take advantage of it because it's not always like this.”

Fifth at the rail and full of run a quarter mile from home, Prat swung four deep at the top of the stretch and Disappearing Act held off a stiff challenge from Witch Moon and Hernandez to prevail by a hard-fought head.

Off as the even money favorite in a field of eight maiden fillies and mares three and up, Disappearing Act, who is owned and bred in Kentucky by BHMFR, LLC, paid $4.20 to win and covered the mile and one quarter over a turf listed as “good” in 2:05.25.

Prat's earlier winners on Friday were: R2 #6 Dr. Hoffman ($3.20); R3 #2 Ippodamia's Girl ($16.00); R4 #7 Missy P. ($2.80); R5 #7 Burnin Turf ($3.80); R6 #3 Rather Nosy ($4.00) and R7 #8 Disappearing Act ($4.20).

A two-time leading rider at Santa Anita's Winter/Spring stand, Prat, who was born on Aug. 4, 1992, in Melun, France, becomes the first Santa Anita jockey to win six consecutive races since Laffit Pincay, Jr. did it on March 14, 1987 — en route to winning a record seven races on the day.

Prat becomes the 10th jockey to win six races in one day at Santa Anita, joining Bill Shoemaker (Feb. 23, 1962); Pincay (twice, on Feb. 17, 1973, & March 4, 1981); Steve Valdez (Oct. 15, 1973); Sandy Hawley (twice, on Feb. 20, 1976, & March 26, 1976); Darrel McHargue (twice, on March 5, 1978 & Oct. 25, 1979); Patrick Valenzuela (Oct. 21, 1988); Martin Pedroza (Oct. 31, 1992); Corey Nakatani (April 23, 2000) and Rafael Bejarano (April 8, 2006).

With Prat named to ride eight horses, racing resumes with a nine-race card on Saturday. First post time is at 12:30 p.m. PT.

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Big Weekend, Milestone Net Flavien Prat Jockey Of The Week Honors

Jockey Flavien Prat had a very good week. In addition to winning all three stakes races at Santa Anita he also registered his 1,000th North American victory. The accomplishments earned Prat the Jockey of the Week award for Feb. 15 through Feb. 21. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.

Riding for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella in the Wishing Well Stakes, the feature on Presidents' Day, Prat guided Superstition to a 1-1/2 furlong victory in 1:14.22 over 6-1/2 furlongs on the turf.

On Saturday, trainer Phil D'Amato tapped Prat to ride Charmaine's Mia for the first time in the Grade 2 Buena Vista a one mile turf test. Stretching out for the first time, Charmaine's Mia got the distance in 1:33.93.

“She broke sharp,” said Prat. “She's really fast out of the gate and I wanted to be on the lead, but the inside horse (Bohemian Bourbon) was pulling very hard, so we were in second, which was a good place to be. When we made the lead at the quarter pole, she got a good breather and from there, she finished really well.”

Prat was given a leg up on Bella Vita by trainer Simon Callaghan in the Spring Fever Stakes on Sunday. Heavily favored in the field of six, Bella Vita was in control the entire trip making short work of her rivals as she powered to a 4-1/2 length win.

“I thought I was on the best horse and I was,” said Prat. She broke well and we got a good position up close. She was push button and she did it on her own.”

French-born Prat, Santa Anita's reigning Winter/Spring Champion Jockey and current meet leader, registered his 1,000th North American victory on Feb. 19. In a remarkable span of about six years, he has collected 11 Southern California riding titles and is currently tied for 13th with retired Hall of Famer Donald Pierce on Santa Anita's all-time Winter/Spring stakes won list with 99 to date.

“It means a lot, it's a big achievement,” said Prat. “(Looking to the future) I hope to do as good as I have done. I don't want to be satisfied with what I've done, I want to try to improve. I've been lucky to have been on a lot of good horses…They all have a place in my heart.”

Prat's weekly stats included 12 wins from 26 mounts for a win percentage of 46% and 73% in-the-money percentage. He led all jockeys in purses won with $553,440.

He out polled fellow jockeys Eric Cancel with a stakes victory, Isaias Enriquez with two stakes victories, Horacio Karamanos with a graded stakes win and Sheldon Russell with two stakes victories.

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