Flavien Prat is one of three top jockeys headed to Santa Anita (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)
Santa Anita Stable Notes by Victor Ryan
ARCADIA, Calif.— Three of the top jockeys in North America will be on hand Monday to ride Santa Anita’s blockbuster Memorial Day card highlighted by a trio of Grade Is.
Making their way to Santa Anita will be Luis Saez, who this year ranks second in North America in both wins (119) and purse earnings ($10,092,489); and Flavien Prat, who relocated to Kentucky following the Santa Anita Derby in April and is now based in New York after spending the winter at Santa Anita.
Despite Prat having only about half the mounts as Saez this year, he ranks third in North America in purse earnings with $10,033,162. Prat’s mounts have earned an average of $32,365 per start, which is easily the most among North American jockeys that ride regularly.
Also returning to Santa Anita Monday is Kazushi Kimura. He spent the winter here before returning last month to his home base at Woodbine, where he is once again the leading rider.
Saez has six mounts at Santa Anita Monday. In the Grade Is, he’ll ride morning-line favorite Queen Goddess (9-5) in the Gamely for trainer Michael McCarthy; Du Jour (6-1) in the Shoemaker Mile for Bob Baffert; and Senor Buscador (5-1) in the Hollywood Gold Cup for Todd Fincher.
Prat has five mounts Monday. His Grade I mounts are School Dance (6-1) in the Gamely for Phil D’Amato; morning-line favorite Hong Kong Harry (7-2) in the Shoemaker Mile for D’Amato; and Country Grammer (8-5) in the Hollywood Gold Cup for Baffert.
Kimura has six mounts Monday. His two Grade I mounts are Gold Phoenix (4-1) in the Shoemaker Mile for D’Amato and longshot Yes This Time (15-1) in the Hollywood Gold Cup for Mark Glatt.
Santa Anita’s Memorial Day card kicks off at 1 p.m. Monday.
