Flavien Prat is fast making a disappearing act of the Santa Anita Park Winter/Spring Meet jockey title, which became clear when he tied a Santa Anita Park record Friday. Prat won six consecutive races Friday, finishing the feat aboard Disappearing Act in Santa Anita’s seventh race.
Prat took Disappearing Act 1 ¼ miles down Santa Anita’s unique hillside turf course for win No. 6, tying him with Laffit Pincay Jr. for most consecutive victories in one day. The iconic Pincay won six consecutive races on March 14, 1987 – or nearly 5 ½ years before Prat was born.
Interestingly, Prat could have won seven. He finished second aboard 4/5 favorite Clearly Gone in the day’s first race. It was the only time in seven races – Prat sat out Santa Anita’s eighth and final race – he didn’t find the winner’s circle.
The string started with 3/5 favorite Dr. Hoffman in the second race. Then, Prat guided 7/1 Ippodamia’s Girl past 7/5 On Mars and 6/5 favorite Laura’s Light, who finished fourth. In the fourth, Prat returned to favorites, taking 2/5 Missy P to the winner’s circle. He followed with 4/5 Burnin Turf in the fifth.
Prat showed why his horses are favorites
Rather Nosy (even) wasn’t odds-on in the sixth, but Prat booted the Mike Puype-trained favorite home.
Win No. 6 on even-money favorite Disappearing Act took some of Prat’s turf-riding skill. A quarter-mile from the wire, Prat was sitting in fifth. He steered Disappearing Act four deep at the top of the stretch and turned him loose. He held off Witch Moon and Juan Hernandez for a head victory.
All told, Prat rode six favorites in seven races, four of those odds-on. But favorites win around 35% of the time, meaning Prat’s 85% win rate surpassed expectations by 50%.
Prat rides Santa Anita jockey title into the sunset
“Things have to go your way and some things are out of my hands, but there are days that no matter what you do, it’s going to be the right thing,†Prat said. “So you have to take advantage of it because it’s not always like this.â€
Speaking of Hernandez, he now trails Prat by 14 wins (56-42) as Prat rides in quest of his third Santa Anita Winter/Spring riding title. On Feb. 11, Hernandez enjoyed a 26-19 edge over Prat, who was tied with Abel Cedillo with 19 wins. But since that day, Prat blew past Hernandez, 37-16.
“When you win six, it doesn’t really matter (where you do it), but it feels good,†Prat told Santa Anita’s Mike Willman. “The turf course is really good. With the rain we’ve had, I thought they did a crazy job getting it into shape and it’s been a pleasure to ride on it. I thought I had some good chances today, but how many times have I thought I had a good chance and come back with nothing?â€
The joy of six — twice
This is the second time in 10 months Prat won six races in one day at Santa Anita. He first performed the feat May 18, 2020. He’s the fourth jockey to do it twice, joining Pincay (1973 and 1981), Sandy Hawley (February and March 1976) and Darrel McHargue (1978 and 1979).
The others: Bill Shoemaker (1962), Steve Valdez (1973), Patrick Valenzuela (1988), Martin Pedroza (1992), Corey Nakatani (2000) and Rafael Bejarano (2006).
Pincay is the only Santa Anita jockey to win seven races in a day. Meanwhile, Prat won his 1,000th career race Feb. 19.