Jo Jo Air © Benoit Photo
Three-time Del Mar riding champ Flavien Prat overcame a battle with COVID-19 and returned to riding at Del Mar Friday. He underscored his return to good health, good horses and good luck with a four-win afternoon including a sweep of the two stakes races on the program, the track’s first since Sunday, July 12.
The 27-year-old Frenchman gave flawless rides to his quartet of winners, which included a two and a quarter length tally on Red Baron’s Barn or Rancho Temescal’s Big Sweep in the $125,000 Fleet Treat Stakes and a late-running neck score aboard Andrew Farm and O’Connor’s Jo Jo Air in the Daisycutter Handicap.
Prat, who had ridden at Del Mar only on Opening Day, July 10, previously, was the track’s leading jock last summer and projected himself back into the fray for this go round. He now has five winners to rank second on the riders’ roster to Del Mar newcomer Umberto Rispoli and his eight firsts.
Big Sweep ran the seven furlongs of the Fleet Treat in 1:24.44 and paid $4.60 and $3.00 in a four-horse field that did not allow for show betting.
Jo Jo Air covered five furlongs on grass in :56.29 and paid $9.20, $4.80 and $3.60 across the board.
Finishing second in the Fleet Treat for California-breds was KMN Racing’s Been Studying Her and third was Brown, Klein or Lebherz’s Smiling Shirlee.
The runner-up in the $65,000 Daisycutter was LNJ Foxwoods’ Lighthouse, while Fairview’s Tomlin pulled in third.
Del Mar will continue its four-day weekend Saturday with an 11-race card starting at 2 p.m. A trio of stakes will be offered on the afternoon, including the $150,000 San Diego Handicap featuring the return to racing of champion Maximum Security.
FLAVIEN PRAT (Jo Jo Air, winner) -- “It all fell into place. I watched videos of her races. She broke well and relaxed. We were right in behind the favorite (Stealthediamonds) and I felt good. Then she gave me her big kick. A good race for her.”
BLAKE HEAP (assistant to Wesley Ward, Jo Jo Air, winner) – “She shipped in from Kentucky before this was scheduled for last week (Saturday, July 18). So when it got cancelled, we’ve had her here for two weeks now. The extra week gave her time to acclimate and get a work over the (turf) course (July 19, 4f, :48.80) so it worked out really well. We knew the three (Stealthediamonds) was going to go fast early so I just told (Flavien Prat) to see how she breaks and save some running for the last. She’s going back to Kentucky on Monday and Wesley will decide where she goes from there.”
FRACTIONS: :22.24 :44.83 :56.29
The stakes win was the second of the meet for rider Prat and his first in the Daisycutter. He now has 46 stakes wins at Del Mar. It was also his fourth victory on the day’s card.
The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer Ward, but his second in the Daisycutter (2015, Shrinking Violet). He now has nine stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owner is Richard Brodie (Andrew Farm) of Warren, MI and Mrs. Charlie O’Connor.