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Best of 2024: A career year for Flavien Prat

by Lynne Snierson

Just three live race days remain in 2024 to complete a remarkable year of racing action on the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit. To celebrate the season, the NYRA Press Office checked in with a selection of trainers, owners, jockeys and racing personalities to share their reflections on the memorable year.

On December 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack, Flavien Prat won the Grade 2 Remsen aboard Godolphin’s Kentucky homebred Poster for his 80th stakes win of the year, surpassing Irad Ortiz, Jr.’s single-season record set in 2022, and at the same time he tied Jerry Bailey’s single-year record of 55 graded stakes established by the Hall of Famer in 2003.

He has increased his lead atop the standings of all North American jockeys in purse earnings to $36,782,216 through December 21, and 2024 is the first year he’s led in that category since moving his tack from his native France to the United States in 2015 and setting up his base in Southern California.

With more chances to come until year’s end, including mounts in six graded events on December 26 at Santa Anita Park, Prat has been on a tear, winning 16 Grade 1 races on 14 different horses at tracks across the country. Last year he captured 13 Grade 1 races on 12 different horses, which earned him a spot as one of the three finalists for the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey.

Now he’s the favorite to win the Championship for the first time and wrestle the trophy from Irad Ortiz, Jr., who has taken it home in five of the last six years.

This year for the first time Prat decided, with the advice and counsel of his agent Brad Pegram and his wife Manon, to shift his focus to the NYRA tracks and compete on the toughest circuit in North America.

Prat recently sat down for a conversation to reflect on his superb season.

Q: You were very well established in Southern California, where you dominated the standings. What went into your decision to step out of your comfort zone and come ride in New York, and at Saratoga specifically, at this stage of your career?

FP: “What happened was during my last season on the West Coast I was traveling quite a bit. I spent most of my weekends riding on the East Coast, so I felt that this could be the right time to try the East Coast. I felt that I could have some support from different trainers. I thought that if this was something I wanted to try it was now or never.”

Q: It could not have been easy breaking into a colony where the other riders have established solid, long-standing relationships with trainers. How tough was it to get the mounts on the good horses?

FP: “You know, it was not easy. But, I felt like I would have the support from the trainers and that proved to be the case. They really gave me an opportunity and Brad did a great job finding the right horses for me. It all just went in the right direction. But still, it was not an easy decision. When I moved from France to California, I crossed the Atlantic and came all the way across the United States. I said then, that’s it. I’m not going anywhere now. But as the years go by, I said OK. Maybe I should try the East Coast. It was just a matter of having the right support from trainers and owners and my agent did a good job. Everything came together and it ended up being the right decision at the right time.”

Q: You were still the new guy in a room where the guys have been together for a long time and are tight knit. Was it difficult to be accepted?

FP: “No. I was riding there before, though obviously I was not in the room every day. We know each other from Breeders’ Cup weekend or [Kentucky] Derby weekend, and the other big weekends. So, we already knew each other. The riders here have been welcoming. We’re all competitive but at the end of the day there’s a good camaraderie in the room.”

Q: Riding in Southern California and New York are two different animals, so to speak. The variations include the racing surfaces, the time zone, the weather, and trainers with different ways of training. Does that necessitate a different way of riding?

FP: “Yes, absolutely. When horses train differently, they run differently so you have to ride differently. There’s been a bit of an adjustment I had to make. But I think my chance here was helped that I rode in France before coming to the States and that is a bit similar to the East Coast training and riding way, as is the weather. So I had a bit of experience with all that. I think that helped me quite a bit.”

Q: You’re known as a rider’s rider. You’re a strong finisher and it’s said you have no lack or limitations in your game. Do you consider yourself equally good with dirt or turf horses; sprinters, middle distance horses, or routers; and front runners or closers?

FP: “I have tried to adapt. That might not be the case all the time, but that is something I try for. I try to adapt myself to the horse and try to give each horse his best chance in every race.”

Q: You set a new Saratoga record this year for stakes wins with 18, and 14 of them were graded stakes and seven were Grade 1s. Did you enjoy riding at the NYRA tracks this year?

FP: “Yes. Very much. Saratoga is obviously very special. There’s always a good crowd and the atmosphere is great. Aqueduct is a great track. I’m very excited to see how the new Belmont is going to turn out.”

Q: At this year’s Breeders’ Cup you were blanked with all four of your mounts on Friday in the Juvenile races, but you came back firing on Saturday with perfect rides on Sierra Leone in the Classic and aboard Moria in the Filly & Mare Turf for back-to-back scores. How satisfying was that?

FP: “It was a good day. Friday was a bit slow. I thought I had some good chances, but it just didn’t happen. Then on Saturday Sierra Leone ran the race that everyone had been expecting from him. He finally put it together. The set-up of the race was different for him, but it was what he needs. He is a good horse and can get the job done.”

Q: You’re one victory away from breaking Jerry Bailey’s record of 55 graded stakes single-season wins that has stood for 21 years. What’s it like to be talked about in the same sentence with the Hall of Famer?

FP: “Honestly, just to tie Jerry’s record makes me feel very honored. I never had a chance to ride with him, but I watch a lot of replays and heard about him [when he was active] from a lot of different riders. He was a great rider and just to get my name next to his is very humbling. I haven’t heard from him on the stakes record, but he texted me after the Saratoga meet so he reaches out to me at times.”

Q: Can you put this year so far into perspective?

FP: “It’s been a very good year, a great year. From the beginning I had the chance to be associated with very good horses all year round. It was very fruitful and a very successful year. Every decision I’ve made turned out to be the right one. Hopefully, that will keep happening. I think when you’re around the right horses you make the right decisions. The horses make you look good.”

Q: You’re the favorite to win the Eclipse Award. Would that be the capstone?

FP: “It means a lot. Honestly, it would be a dream come true. When I came to the States I was hoping for a better life. I hoped for a bit more success than I had in France. Winning the Eclipse Award was not something that I could dream of. It’s something you work all your life for and to achieve it would be something, just to do it once. Hopefully, it would be great and would be something I would remember forever.”

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.