Prat suspended three days for careless riding

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Star jockey Flavien Prat has been suspended three days by the Keeneland stewards for his role in the disqualification of his mount, Foreign Relations, from first to last in the sixth race Wednesday at Keeneland.

Prat was aboard Foreign Relations when the gelding swerved in sharply in midstretch, causing Master of the Ring to clip heels and fall awkwardly to the turf course, throwing Tyler Gaffalione.

Fortunately, Gaffalione escaped serious injury. However, Master of the Ring, a 5-year-old gelding trained by Mike Maker, had to be euthanized from his injuries.

The stewards cited Prat for careless riding in a ruling issued late Thursday, with the three days to be served next week (Wednesday through Friday). Prat’s agent, Brad Pegram, said the jockey will not appeal the penalty.

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With Keeneland closing its 15-day spring meet Friday, April 28, Prat, the dominant jockey on the Southern California circuit in recent years, will ride at Churchill Downs through the May 6 Kentucky Derby before taking his tack to Belmont Park and Saratoga through the spring and summer.

Prat has ridden all but one of the first nine dates of the Keeneland meet, winning six races, including the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile and Grade 2 Beaumont, in addition to winning four races over a two-day span last weekend at Santa Anita.

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