Flavien Prat keeps building on an incredibly successful 2024 as he took home the week's biggest prize, the Gr. I Breeders' Cup Classic and just one race later, the Gr. I Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. But that's not all. Prat was named the winner of the Bill Shoemaker Award for the first time as Outstanding Jockey of the two-day event held at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.
The panel of racing experts voted Prat Jockey of the Week for October 28-November 3.
The weekly honor acknowledges jockeys for significant riding accomplishments and who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.
Prat started the week on Thursday, opening day of the Bing Crosby Meet at Del Mar. Riding for trainer Phil D'Amato, Prat was aboard King of Gosford in the Let It Ride Stakes for three-year-olds. King of Gosford closed from fourth to win by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:34.76 for one mile on the turf.
On Saturday, four-time Eclipse Award trainer Chad Brown gave a leg up to Prat on Sierra Leone in the day's premier race, the Gr. I Breeders' Cup Classic. Prat was riding Sierra Leone for the fourth time since taking over the riding assignment after the three-year-old's nose loss in the Gr. I Kentucky Derby.
Breaking from post position 11 in the field of 14, Sierra Leone raced in 11th, 13 lengths off the hot pace set by the Japanese runner Derma Sotogake. Sierra Leone began to advance at the five-furlong marker as race favorite Fierceness took over the lead with three furlongs to run but Sierra Leone caught him as the field turned for home. He made the lead at the eighth pole to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 2:00.78 for the mile and one-quarter. The win was the second in the Classic for Prat having won aboard Flightline in 2022.
"Actually, I was a bit worried that I got there too soon, but once I got the lead, I asked him to make his move and that was it," Prat said to the Breeders' Cup press.
Prat wasted no time posting a win in the next race, the Gr. I Filly and Mare Turf. Canadian trainer Kevin Attard gave a leg up to Prat on Moira, the 2022 Canadian Horse of the Year. Off as third favorite in the field of 12, Moira assumed command at the top of the stretch to win by one-half length in 2:14.95 for one and three-eighths mile over Great Britain invader and race favorite, Cinderella's Dream.
On winning the Classic and Filly and Mare Turf back to back, Prat commented to the Breeders' Cup press: "It's great obviously. I thought I had some good chances earlier and yesterday, it didn't happen. I kept my head up and just went out there and was trying to ride good races. Those horses rewarded me."
Earlier this year, Prat set a new single season record for stakes wins at Saratoga with 18, 14 being graded.
Other nominees for Jockey of the Week were Martin Garcia who won the Gr. I Juvenile, Brian Hernandez, Jr. who won the Gr. I Distaff, Drayden Van Dyke with a win in the Gr. I Filly and Mare Sprint and Hall of Famer John Velazquez who won the Gr. I Sprint.
This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If there are any questions please contact the organization that produced the release.
