Prince of Monaco © Benoit Photo
Most folks at Del Mar Sunday thought trainer Bob Baffert had a real live one for the Best Pal Stakes in the expensive colt Muth. Well, Muth ran a good race, as predicted, but it wasn’t good enough as another Baffert charge, Prince of Monaco, stormed home through the lane to take the $200,000 Grade III offering by a handy four and a quarter lengths over his highly touted stablemate.
Flavien Prat, a seven-time shore riding champion who has been plying his trade of late on the east coast, flew in for the assignment on the winning son of champion sprinter Speightstown and handled his charge perfectly, letting a pair of speedsters go fast early, then taking over at the head of the lane and finishing strongly.
His final time – 1:09.19 – was the fastest six furlongs of the meet. It bested the previous mark of 1:09.24, set by win machine The Chosen Vron in capturing the Grade I Bing Crosby Stakes on July 29.
Prince of Monaco, who cost “only” $950,000 as a yearling (stablemate Muth cost $2-million earlier this year in a 2-year-old in training sale) is owned by an extended partnership consisting of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan and Tom Ryan.
Muth, who races in the silks of Zedan Racing Stables, was second, four and a half lengths ahead of Great Friends Stables and Mark Davis’ Raging Torrent.
Prince of Monaco, the 9/5 second choice in the wagering (Muth went favored at 1-2), returned $5.60 to win.
The winner’s share of the purse was $120,000 and increased Prince of Monaco’s bankroll to $177,000. He won his only other start, a straight maiden race at Los Alamitos on July 9 where he was an eight-length winner.
The score in the Best Pal was Baffert’s record 10th. It was Prat’s second.
FLAVIEN PRAT (Prince of Monaco, winner) – “Mr. Baffert (trainer Bob Baffert) called me and asked me to come out and ride a horse for him. And so here I am. He was very comfortable out there; felt good all the way. I saw the pace was hot and I just waited my turn. He’s a nice colt. And yes, I think he can run farther.”
BOB BAFFERT (Prince of Monaco, winner) – “He (Prat) rode that filly (in Race 3) really fast and I said ‘That’s okay, just don’t do that on this one.’ We knew the other horse was really quick and I was hoping Muth would lay off the pace but he just engaged early. Prat saw what was going on and he took back and I like the way the horse responded and he had a good post for it. You put good riders on good horses but it was really key that he rode that filly for me in the third race.” (That filly was favpred Elegant, who showed speed, but fell back and finished fifth.)
FRACTIONS: :21.76 :44.76 :56.90 1:09.19
The stakes win was the first of the meet for rider Prat, but the third of the session for trainer Baffert.
Prat won the Best Pal previously on Run Away in 2017. He now has 87 stakes victories at Del Mar, 10th best among all riders.
Baffert was winning his record 10th Best Pal. He now has 159 stakes wins at the track. His next nearest competitor in that department has 85.
The winning owners are the partnership of SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Robert Masterson, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan and Tom Ryan.