Prat, in midst of a big year, gets first five-win day

DEL MAR, Calif. – In a year full of milestones, jockey Flavien Prat reached another distinction on Saturday, winning five races in a day for the first time in his career.

Prat, 27, won the Kentucky Derby for the first time earlier this year when Country House was promoted from second to first following the disqualification of Maximum Security. In late June, Prat won the Queen’s Plate at Woodbine on One Bad Boy.

Prat has had four-win days in the past. He won with his first five mounts on Saturday’s nine-race card, did not have mounts in two races, and lost with his last two rides. His best chance did not start. Schrodinger was the morning-line favorite for the Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes for 2-year-olds, but was withdrawn on Saturday morning with an elevated temperature.

The five-win day gave Prat a comfortable lead in the jockey’s standings through Saturday. Prat was the leading rider here in the summer of 2017, but finished second to Drayden Van Dyke last summer.

While Prat is focused on gaining leading mounts in top stakes, the Del Mar summer meeting is a riding title worth pursuing, he said.

“I think Del Mar is special,” he said. “It’s one of the best meetings of the season.”

Saturday, Prat won the first three races, beginning with the promising 2-year-old maiden Storm the Court, and followed with wins on Drippin Sauce and Billy Batts. Prat did not ride the fourth, and won the fifth on Andesh and the sixth on Swing Thoughts.

Storm the Court ($27.20) was a surprise winner from Prat’s perspective since Garth, trained by Bob Baffert, and Veteran, trained by Richard Mandella, were rated as leading contenders.

“I thought Baffert and Mandella were good and we’d be running for third,” he said.

Prat will be after his first win in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic next Saturday with Higher Power. The $1 million Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles is Del Mar’s leading annual race and one of the top races for older horses in the nation.

Prat will ride Higher Power for the first time. Trained by John Sadler for Pete and Kosta Hronis, Higher Power was a fast-closing second in the Wickerr Stakes at a mile on turf on July 21, finishing a half-length behind Bombard. Earlier this year, Higher Power was fifth in the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita in his first start for Sadler.

Prat has breezed Higher Power leading to the Pacific Classic.

“He likes dirt,” Prat said. “He’ll like the distance. It seems like it’s a wide-open race.”

The Pacific Classic has 10 probable starters. Bal Harbour will not start for trainer Todd Pletcher, Del Mar officials said on Sunday. The race is led by Seeking the Soul and Quip, the first two finishers in the Grade 2 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 15.

Other expected runners are Campaign, Draft Pick, For the Top, Mongolian Groom, Pavel, Tenfold, and War Story.

On the same program, Prat is booked to ride Hidden Message in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf. Hidden Message won the Coral Distaff at Sandown Park in England last month and recently joined trainer Simon Callaghan’s stable.