Jockey Flavien Prat earns North American career win 2,000 aboard Iron Max with five on the day. (Adam Coglianese/NYRA)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jockey Flavien Prat secured his 2,000th career victory in North America aboard Iron Max as part of a memorable five-win Friday at Belmont at the Big A.
“Honestly, when I started riding, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be here in New York and celebrating 2,000 wins, so I’m very grateful,” Prat said. “There’s a lot of people along that way that believed in me and gave me an opportunity, so I’m very thankful. The trainers, owners, and my agent has done a great job, and my family have supported me as well.”
Prat’s agent, Brad Pegram, said the veteran rider’s professionalism shines through on a day-to-day basis.
“He’s very disciplined,” Pegram said. “He’s very even-keeled. He’s never too high and never too low, just steady – one race at a time. He’s very dedicated and extremely competitive. He loves what he does, loves the sport and is always moving forward.”
The milestone victory was secured in dramatic fashion in Race 7, a nine-furlong New York-bred maiden claimer over the inner turf, as the Brad Cox-trained Iron Max [No. 4, $2.70*] overcame a troubled start to graduate. Under a typically sharp ride by Prat, Iron Max advanced into contention down the backstretch and loomed large through the final turn, overtaking the pacesetting Makeyourmoment and drawing off to win by 3 3/4-lengths as the mutuel favorite.
“He’s a bit difficult in the sense that he blows the start all the time, but he has a ton of stamina, and I thought down the backside I would get myself clear and get myself closer, and after that, he got the job done,” Prat said of the milestone win.
Prat, who started the day with 1,996 wins, swept the early double with a pair of talented horses in allowance optional-claiming events as graded stakes-winner La Mehana [No. 1, $6.20] took an 11-furlong inner turf test in Race 1 before last year’s Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Highland Falls [No. 1, $2.40*] returned from a layoff to score traveling a one-turn mile in Race 2. The talented rider picked up his third win on the card in Race 5 when Shesalittle Edgy [No. 1A, $7] wired a 6 1/2-furlong claiming sprint; and closed out a memorable afternoon in Race 9 with a win aboard Global Prosperity [No. 11, $14.40] in a maiden claiming outer turf sprint to notch career win 2,001.
Prat, a 32-year-old native of Melun, Siene-et-Marne, France, led the nation last year with over $37 million in purse earnings to capture the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey for the first time as part of an incredible campaign that saw him set the record for stakes [82] and graded stakes victories [56] in a single season.
The dual Classic winner was elevated to victory in the 2019 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby aboard Country House and added the Grade 1 Preakness to his ledger in 2021 with Rombauer.
A seven-time Breeders’ Cup-winner, he has smiled for the camera at the year-end championship event with Obviously [2016, Turf Sprint], Battle of Midway [2017, Dirt Mile], Storm the Court [2019, Juvenile], Flightline [2022, Classic], Hard to Justify [2023, Juvenile Fillies Turf], Moira [2024, Filly and Mare Turf] and Sierra Leone [2024, Classic].
Prat, who was his native country’s Champion Apprentice Jockey in 2009 before moving to the United States full time in 2015, has reached the 2,000th win milestone in quick fashion.
Among the top horses he has piloted are 2022 Champion Older Dirt Male and Horse of the Year Flightline, who romped to victory in that year’s Grade 1 Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park; the 2024 Grade 1 Met Mile-winner National Treasure, who earned that year’s Eclipse Award for Champion Older Dirt Male; and the aforementioned Sierra Leone, who secured Champion 3 Year Old Colt honors with his Breeders’ Cup Classic score last year.
Prat said he’s still in disbelief at how far his career has come in such a short period of time.
“Being on Flightline, the whole journey was just amazing,” Prat said. “Wins in the Preakness, Kentucky Derby, obviously Sierra Leone last year was a key horse for me. But all of the horses as well. Every win is special. It’s been a great journey and I try to enjoy it as much as I can. I’m fortunate to have good people around me.”
And as for what milestone he would like to chase down next?
“I just want to keep winning and to do my best, to improve my riding and everything around it,” Prat said.
