Face it, Flavien Prat is making all the right moves at Del Mar because he is an up-and-coming talented rider and not a flash in the pan. Through last Monday, Prat is the leader in the clubhouse at Del Mar. He has won with 28 of his 146 mounts so far and is ahead of the perennial Southern California leading rider Rafael Bejarano by 3 wins.
Flavien Prat is no one-hit wonder. The native of France had a bright future in Europe and was winning races, but wanted to expand. He was making inroads last year and was attracting the attention of some major stables in Southern California. Then, lightning struck as he fractured 5 vertebrae in his back and punctured a lung during a spill at Los Alamitos in September.
He spent nearly a week in the hospital and over two months in a body brace, but Prat has determination and love for the game. Still, a youngster at only 23, Prat started riding in his native land when he was 16 and he learned at the foot of his father, who is a harness trainer in France.
One of the keys to succeeding in horse racing is having the right people around you. Flavien Prat is making all the right moves because he had the support of Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella almost from Day One.
Mandella has connections throughout the world and he did something that may never be duplicated when he won 4 Breeders’ Cup races the same year. In 2010, his European connections asked Mandella to give Prat a shot and keep an eye on him. Mandella not only liked what he saw but also witnessed a hard worker and a wonderful kid.
Mandella watched as Prat won his first race in the United States with Heavenly n’Free, who paid a whopping $103.40.
By the end of 2010, Mandella put Prat on 3 horses. They all ran in the money and one won and, although Prat was homebound to France, Mandella could not wait to retain his services.
Like a lot of athletes, Flavien Prat is making all the right moves because he is able to recognize when things are going good. Early this spring at the end of May, Prat won at a 43% clip for one week and won three stakes in the process. Like any good athlete that has it going, Prat knows when to push when he is in the zone.
Because of his youth, Prat has been able to learn on the fly in California. He is lucky enough to be around some of the best riders in the world and he is a quick study.
Although Flavien Prat is making all the right moves now, it was not always easy. He won 2 of his 27 mounts in his first year of racing in the U.S. He only had 7 mounts in the states in the next couple of years, but started to open eyes in 2014. In that season he won with 7 of his 36 mounts and was off to the races.
Last year, Prat popped with 84 of 588 mounts for a suitable 14% clip. This year, Prat has had 122 happy endings after his 634 mounts. At 19%, that is his highest rate so far and he will only get better.
One thing bettors can look for when betting Prat’s mounts is to pay strict attention when he rides for certain trainers. He always seems to be ‘live’ when Mandella gives him a leg up on a horse so that is a no brainer.
Prat has won with 7 of his first 31 starters this year that are trained by Peter Miller. Although Michael McCarthy is not a high-percentage conditioner, he and Prat have collaborated with 3 wins from 18 mounts. Simon Callaghan does not saddle a lot of runners but when he uses Prat wake up. They are 3 for 8 combined this year.
Trainer Mark Glatt is having the best meeting of his life at Del Mar right now. He and Prat have won with 3 of the 5 starters they have combined with this stand and with 5 of the 15 they have shared this year.
Flavien Prat is making all the right moves now and, if he stays healthy, will do so for years to come.
