Prat's streak of 15 consecutive winning days broken

ARCADIA, Calif. – Flavien Prat left Santa Anita late Sunday afternoon with a different feeling than his experiences in 15 racing days over the previous five weeks.

Prat was winless with six mounts.

Beginning on Feb. 12, a day he won three races, Prat had an astonishing late winter span at Santa Anita, winning 40 races from 105 mounts that earned $1,865,200. He won at least one race each day for 15 racing days, including six on March 12.

Last Saturday, Prat had three wins from seven mounts on a nine-race program, and was involved in two photos finishes that were nearly wins.

“Slow day,” Prat said on Sunday morning. “No really, it was a good day.”

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Going into the Feb. 12 program, Prat was in fourth-place in the meet standings, trailing leader Juan Hernandez by seven wins. Through Sunday Prat had 59 wins and a 14-race advantage over Hernandez. In fairness, Hernandez had a fine five-week span of his own during the same time, winning 19 races with 85 mounts.

Prat equaled his career-best day on March 12, having won six races at Santa Anita on May 17, 2020. Since Feb. 12, Prat has had four three-win days and two four win-days. Retired Hall of Famer Laffit Pincay Jr. holds the Santa Anita record of seven wins in a day, set in 1987.

Prat, 28, has won or tied for the last six riding titles at Santa Anita’s winter-spring or autumn meetings since the spring meeting of 2018. Prat finished second to Evin Roman, 46-45, during the winter portion of the 2017-18 meeting, at a time when the six-month season was divided into two parts. In the last two years, the marathon meeting has been considered one season.

Last month, Prat switched agents as he took hold of first place in the standings, replacing longtime representative Derek Lawson with Brad Pegram, who also books mounts on behalf of Mike Smith.

“It’s a different approach,” Prat said of working with Pegram. “Things are going well.”

Prat leads all riders with nine stakes wins at the winter-spring meeting and has an excellent chance for another when the 6-year-old gelding United makes his 2021 debut in Saturday’s Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 1/2 miles. Prat has ridden United to all four of his stakes wins.

The $100,000 San Luis Rey Stakes will be United’s first start since an eighth at 8-1 in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 7. United stalked the pace to the turn before fading from contention through the stretch.

“He took a bad step on the turn and it was pretty much over,” Prat said. “He never felt comfortable on that turf. He never traveled well.”

United is trained by Richard Mandella, who started a promising 3-year-old filly on March 12 in Missy P., whom Prat guided to an easy win by 9 1/2 lengths in a maiden special weight race at 5 1/2 furlongs.

“She was outstanding,” Prat said.

Mandella has mentioned the $75,000 Angels Flight Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Santa Anita on May 1 as a goal for Missy P. If that schedule is kept, Mandella may need a new rider. Prat hopes to ride the Kentucky Derby program the same day at Churchill Downs.

In the 2019 Kentucky Derby, Prat rode Country House, who was promoted from second to first after a lengthy, and controversial, inquiry and the disqualification of Maximum Security. Prat has not ridden at Churchill Downs since and has yet to gain a mount on a leading candidate for this year’s race.

“I’m looking,” Prat said. “I don’t have anything solid. Hopefully that will change.

“No matter what, you’re looking for that race. Whether you’ve won it or not in the past, it’s something you want to do.”