Prat takes over on Life Is Good in John Nerud Stakes
ELMONT, N.Y. -- Flavien Prat will ride Life Is Good in the Grade 2, $250,000 John Nerud Stakes at Belmont Park on July 2, trainer Todd Pletcher said Friday.
Prat will replace Irad Ortiz Jr., Life Is Good’s rider for the last year, because Ortiz will be serving a five-day suspension from June 29 through July 3. That suspension was handed to Ortiz by the stewards at Royal Ascot for Ortiz allowing his mount in the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes, Love Reigns, “to drift left-handed without sufficient correction,” according to the stewards’ report.
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Prat is the regular rider of the undefeated Metropolitan Handicap winner Flightline, who, like Life Is Good, can be on "go" right from the start.
“There might be some similarities to Flightline and Life Is Good, but we’ll have a talk about the horse a little bit,” Pletcher said. “He’s got kind of a quiet touch so that should suit him well.”
Betting prematurely stopped early in Thursday finale
Wagering on Thursday’s ninth race was prematurely stopped after Devil Or Angel, the even-money favorite, broke through the starting gate prior to the official start of the race.
State steward Braulio Baeza Jr. admitted he inadvertently stopped betting on the race when he saw Devil Or Angel break through the gate, believing the race had started.
“That was me,” said Baeza, who added that he notified the tote operators to let them know there was not a tote malfunction.
Baeza said by rule wagering is supposed to stop once the last horse is loaded. He did acknowledge that in previous instances when horses have prematurely broke through the starting gate, betting has not been stopped.
“We give NYRA some leeway,” Baeza said.