flavien prat | Horse Racing Free Tips

Earls Rock Shortens Up, Wins Baffle Stakes At Santa Anita

A lights-out maiden winner going a flat mile on turf in his U.S. debut Jan. 9, Irish-bred Earls Rock cut back in distance and further enhanced his status as an up-and-coming star with an impressive three-quarter length tally in Friday's $75,000 Baffle Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Trained by Phil D'Amato and ridden by Flavien Prat, Earls Rock rallied from off the pace to cover 6 ½ furlongs on turf in 1:16.15.

Breaking from his number two post position in a field of nine sophomores, Earls Rock was an unhurried sixth, about six lengths off speedy Mac Daddy Too heading into the far turn. Midway around the turn, Prat began to make up ground and split horses turning for home, just to the outside of the pacesetter.

Although eventual runner-up Beer Can Man loomed ominously three-deep, Earls Rock was up to the challenge in the final furlong and won going away in a manner that suggests he's a colt of considerable quality.

“The distance was a bit of a question mark, it was a little short for him,” said Prat, who was also aboard for the one mile maiden win. “But he relaxed well behind horses and when I asked him to go, he really cut.”

Second in his career debut Sept. 4 in Ireland, Earls Rock was off as the 4-5 favorite and paid $3.80, $3.00 and $2.60.

“This is about as short as he wants,” said D'Amato. “The jock rode a tremendous race. He was very patient and the way he split horses, it made all the difference.”

Owned by Anthony Fanticola, Earls Rock, who is by Fascinating Rock, out of Ajaadat, by Shamardal, is now two for three and with the winner's share of $49,320, more than doubled his earnings to $91,099.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez and trained by Mark Glatt, Beer Can Man, who was attentive to the pace throughout, finished 3 ¼ lengths in front of Mac Daddy Too. Off at 6-1, Beer Can Man paid $5.00 and $3.60.

Ridden by Abel Cedillo, Mac Daddy Too was off at 26-1 and paid $5.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 23.06, 45.77 and 1:10.12.

The Baffle win gave Prat a triple on the day, while D'Amato collected his second win.

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Oaks Points On The Line As Moonlight D’Oro Will Be Tested In Las Virgenes

Richard Mandella's impressive recent maiden winner Moonlight d'Oro and Bob Baffert's graded stakes winning Kalypso headline a field of five sophomore fillies going one mile in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita.

An important prep to the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 3, the Las Virgenes winner will receive 10 Kentucky Oaks (April 30) qualifying points, with four, two and one given to those finishing underneath.

The 4-5 favorite in her first try at two turns, Moonlight d'Oro pressed the early pace and drew off to a solid three length win going a flat mile on Dec. 13 at Los Alamitos under Flavien Prat, who will ride back in the Las Virgenes. A $620,000 Keeneland September Yearling, Moonlight d'Oro finished a close second as the 3-5 favorite in her five furlong debut Aug. 2 and was then third, beaten 1 ½ lengths going six furlongs on Nov. 7.

Owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, LLC, Moonlight d'Oro is by Medaglia d'Oro and is out of the Bernardini mare Venetian Sonata. With a Las Virgenes-best 87 Beyer Speed figure in hand, she'll be making her fourth career start on Saturday.

Never worse than third in five starts, Kalypso was second going a mile and one sixteenth in the Grade 1 Starlet at Los Alamitos on Dec. 5 and cut back in distance to register a 1 ¾ length win going seven furlongs in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes here on Jan. 3 as the 4-5 favorite. Off at 11-1 in the Starlet, she tired late, calling into question her ability to beat top caliber competition routing.

Owned by David Bernsen, LLC and Rockingham Ranch, Kalypso, a chestnut filly by Brody's Cause out of the Malibu Moon mare Malibu Cove, got an 81 Beyer in winning the Santa Ynez and retains the services of Joel Rosario.

A gutty nose maiden winner going six furlongs on Jan. 10, the Shelbe Ruis-trained Honor America will stretch out for the first time in her third start and be ridden back by leading man Juan Hernandez. Owned by Ruis Racing, LLC, Honor America is by Into Mischief, out of the Honour and Glory mare Honour Isabel, Honor America sold for $250,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic 2-year-olds in training sale in May of 2020.

Claimed two starts back on Nov. 20 out of a maiden $50,000 claiming win going six furlongs, Doug O'Neill's Brilliant Cut was then head and head with Kalypso for the early lead in the Santa Ynez and finished third, beaten 3 ¼ lengths. Owned by ERJ Racing, LLC, David Kenney, William Strauss and Dennis and Doug O'Neill, Brilliant Cut will be ridden back by Ricky Gonzalez as she tries two turns for the first time in what will be her sixth start.

THE GRADE 3 LAS VIRGENES STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 3 of 10 Approximate post time 1 p.m. PT

Moraz—Umberto Rispoli–120
Kalypso—Joel Rosario—120
Moonlight d'Oro—Flavien Prat—120
Honor America—Juan Hernandez–120
Brilliant Cut—Ricky Gonzalez—120

Early first post time for a 10-race card on Saturday is at 12 noon. All of Santa Anita's races are available free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager via 1st.com/Bet.

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Prats Keep Now-Retired Crosscheck Carlos All In The Family, Even In Retirement

Stakes winner Crosscheck Carlos may be retired from the racetrack, but I Am Horse Racing points out he's still seeing some familiar faces in his new career. The 7-year-old was piloted by jockey Flavien Prat during his maiden victory in 2016 at Santa Anita, and after his retirement the following year, he was adopted by Prat's wife Manon.

Manon Prat retired from her work as an exercise rider and said that he work with Crosscheck Carlos gives her a way to remain involved with horses beyond watching her husband's career.

Prat and Crosscheck Carlos went to their first jumper show and have a good base to build their new skills together.

Crosscheck Carlos retired the winner of the D.S. Shine Young Futurity and runner-up in the Barretts Juvenile Stakes and Gold Rush Futurity.

See the full video feature, courtesy of TVG:

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Irish-Bred Cathkin Peak Wears Down Commander Khai To Win Eddie Logan At Santa Anita

Taken well off the early pace while next to last into the clubhouse turn, trainer Phil D'Amato's Irish-bred Cathkin Peak edged closer to the leaders heading to the far turn and with four lengths to make up turning for home, kept to his task and overhauled pacesetter Commander Khai to register a one-length victory in Sunday's $75,000 Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Cathkin Peak got a flat mile on turf in 1:33.80.

As expected, Commander Khai went to the early lead and he was tracked in second by morning line favorite Beer Can Man, who flattened out a bit late while Commander Khai kept to his task but couldn't hold off the winner, who although he lugged in some late, kept grinding to gain the advantage.

A one mile turf maiden winner in his U.S. debut Nov. 29 at Del Mar, Cathkin Peak was off at 4-1 in a field of seven juveniles and paid $10.40, $5.00 and $3.40.

“He's such a neat horse,” said D'Amato. “Every since he arrived, he hasn't done anything wrong and he keeps getting better and better. Flavien seems to fit him like a glove.”

Owned by Sterling Stables, LLC, Michael Nentwig and CYBT, Cathkin Peak, who started once in his native Ireland, is now two for three and with the winner's share of $46,680, increased his earnings to $81,672.

Trained by Richard Baltas, Commander Khai was off at 7-2 and paid $5.40 and $3.60 with John Velazquez up while prevailing by 2 ¾ lengths over Beer Can Man.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Beer Can Man was also off at 7-2 and paid $3.00 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.59, 45.74, 1:09.51 and 1:21.55.

The race was marred by an incident at the top of the stretch when Ebeko suffered a catastrophic injury and fell, throwing jockey Joel Rosario. Ebeko, winner of the Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita in October, was vanned off and subsequently euthanized because of the nature of the injury. Rosario was evaluated by medical personnel and cleared to ride the remainder of the card.

Named in honor of Santa Anita's beloved “Footman,” the Eddie Logan honors the memory of the man who manned his shoeshine stand at Santa Anita from the track's opening on Dec. 25, 1934, until shortly before his passing at age 98 in January 2009.

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