Prat Claims Jockey of the Week Honor Again With Fair Grounds Double

Nobody moves toward racing's biggest moments quite like Flavien Prat. On Louisiana Derby Day at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans on March 21, the reigning two-time Eclipse Award winner swept both Grade 2 stakes on the card, winning the Fair Grounds Oaks aboard Life of Joy and the $1 million Louisiana Derby aboard Emerging Market. A panel of racing experts voted him Jockey of the Week for the second consecutive week.

The consecutive honors are no accident. Prat always seems to be where racing's spotlight shines the brightest, and on Saturday that happened to be Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. He had started the week at Aqueduct before making the trip south to close out the Fair Grounds meet with eight mounts, including the two marquee stakes rides.

In the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), Prat partnered with two-time Eclipse Award trainer Brad Cox aboard Life of Joy, the second choice in a field of seven. Life of Joy raced just off the pace in the opening stages, then began picking off the leaders on the second turn, overtaking race favorite Bella Ballerina inside the three-sixteenths pole. She drew away by 3-3/4 lengths, stopping the clock at 1:42.27 for the mile and one-sixteenth, just off the track record of 1:42.01. The victory earned 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks on May 1.

Prat credited the race setup for bringing out Life of Joy's best. "I thought the last time she got beat by a good filly (undefeated Zany) and I didn't think the setup of the race was to her favor," he said. "But today she had a lot of pace to run at and she ran a great race."

The Louisiana Derby asked considerably more of him. Riding for five-time Eclipse Award trainer Chad Brown, Prat was aboard Emerging Market, a 3-year-old making just his second career start after winning his debut at Tampa Bay Downs on February 7 while piloted by Prat. Breaking widest of all in the nine-horse field, Emerging Market raced mid-pack as the California invader Pavlovian led the field. Moving into contention four wide near the top of the stretch, Emerging Market ranged up to confront the leader at the three-sixteenths pole, and the pair dueled through the lane, with Pavlovian digging in along the inside, before Emerging Market proved stronger late. The head victory came in 1:55.18 for the mile and three-sixteenths, the third fastest of seven runnings of the Louisiana Derby since Fair Grounds extended the race to its current distance in 2020. It was worth 100 Kentucky Derby qualifying points and $600,000 in earnings, lifting Emerging Market's total to $618,880.

Prat acknowledged the degree of difficulty. "In his first race, he showed a lot of professionalism," Prat said of Emerging Market's debut. "I was a little worried about the 9 (post), but we worked out a good trip. He fought hard. It was a good run, very professional. Honestly, when I turned for home, I thought I would win easily, but Pavlovian gave us a good challenge."

With his first Kentucky Derby prep victory following his debut win February 7 at Tampa Bay Downs, Emerging Market earned 100 points to move into second on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. A win in the Kentucky Derby would make Emerging Market the first horse to capture the race with two or fewer career starts.

The Jockey of the Week honor, administered through the Jockeys' Guild, recognizes riders for significant accomplishments during each race week. The Guild, founded in 1940, represents more than 1,050 active, retired, and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States. This marks Prat's second straight week taking the honor; the panel previously named him Jockey of the Week for March 9-15 after he posted a five-win day at Colonial Downs that included the Virginia Oaks.

Other nominees this week included Francisco Arrieta (Whitmore, G3), Emisael Jaramillo (Santa Ana, G3), Jose Ortiz (10 wins on the week), Mike Smith (San Simeon, G3), and Jaime Torres (Virginia Derby). All had strong weeks. None swept two Grade 2 stakes in the same afternoon for two of the sport's elite trainers off a cross-country travel day.