Prat stays golden with win aboard Jaxer in the Notebook
?q=100)
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – When you’re riding as well as Flavien Prat is right now, it seems like every move you make is the right one.
In Friday’s $125,000 Notebook Stakes at Aqueduct, Prat, aboard Jaxer, was following the favorite, Caroline St. Beat, ridden by Manny Franco. Turning for home, Franco swung Caroline St. Beat wide and Prat was going to do the same. But Prat sensed Caroline St. Beat wasn’t moving as well as his horse was, so Prat dove to the inside. This maneuver came at just about the time the horse on the lead and on the inside, Twirling Lad, came off the fence, creating an inviting opening – not just for Prat but for Ricardo Santana Jr. on Spirit of New York.
Prat went all the way to the rail inside of Spirit of New York, and Prat and Jaxer proceeded to outfinish the six-wide rallying Caroline St. Beat and win the mile-long Notebook by one length. Caroline St. Beat, the 8-5 favorite despite making his first start in three months, finished second by a nose over Funny Factor, who was a neck better than Spirit of New York.
“I was going to follow Manny and tip outside of Manny, but it felt like his horse didn’t really kick when we turned for home, so I went to Plan B and I took a chance and it worked out,” Prat said. “Sometimes you take a chance like this and it doesn’t work, and today it did.”
For the last two weeks, everything has been working for Prat. Since returning to New York following the Breeders’ Cup, where he won two BC races on the Nov. 1 card at Del Mar, Prat has ridden 21 winners from 53 starters.
On Nov. 2, Prat set a record for wins on one New York Racing Association card with seven from 10 mounts. He had multiple win days Nov. 6-9 before going 1 for 4 on Thursday. The win on Jaxer was Prat’s third consecutive on Friday before he finished the card 3 for 6.
Jaxer, a son of Slumber owned and bred by Sol Kumin’s Head of Plains Partners and trained by Graham Motion, won for the second straight time, both with blinkers added. He covered the mile in 1:36.87 and returned $8.68 as the second choice.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.