Published Monday, September 6th, 2021   ( 2 years ago )

Prat, Miller Successfully Defend Jockey, Trainer Titles

Flavien Prat

Flavien Prat © Benoit Photo

Flavien Prat and Peter Miller continued to reign supreme as the 82nd Del Mar summer season of Thoroughbred racing came to a conclusion on Labor Day Monday, September 6.

Despite missing part or all of three weekends during the meeting to accept assignments for major stakes at Saratoga in New York or Arlington Park in Chicago, Prat easily notched his third straight riding title and fifth, solo or shared, in the last six seasons.

With four wins on the final Sunday of the meeting and three more on Labor Day, Prat finished with 47 wins – only three less than in 2020 – and had a 15-win margin over Juan Hernandez and 18 over Abel Cedillo.

A year after establishing a single-season record 15 stakes wins, the 29-year-old native of Melun, France, added 11 more, boosting his total to 72, 11th best in track history.

Miller saddled 26 wins from 143 starters, two less than the previous year, but seven more than Bob Baffert posted from 63 representatives. The title was not only the second straight for Miller, it was his fifth at the summer meeting since 2012 and his ninth overall.

A pair of final weekend stakes victories – with None Above the Law in the Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby and Liam’s Dove in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies -- boosted his stakes total to 43 at what the 56-year-old Encinitas and Manhattan Beach, CA, resident often refers to as his “home” track.

Jockey Mounts 1st Purses
Flavien Prat 176 47 $3,672,438
Juan Hernandez 193 32 $2,261,114
Abel Cedillo 210 29 $1,802,614
Umberto Rispoli 186 27 $2,148,986
Joe Bravo 126 21 $1,438,892
Kent Desormeaux 91 15 $993,000
Edwin Maldonado 109 15 $676,680
Kyle Frey 145 14 $977,580
Geovanni Franco 102 12 $598,240
Jessica Pyfer 119 10 $476,412
     
Trainer Starts 1st Purses
Peter Miller 144 26 $1,888,594
Bob Baffert 65 20 $1,516,800
John W. Sadler 91 18 $1,554,656
Philip D'Amato 109 15 $1,380,576
Doug F. O'Neill 146 14 $1,043,000
Richard Baltas 99 14 $1,136,420
Mark Glatt 81 13 $919,922
Robert B. Hess 80 11 $477,460
Peter Eurton 39 8 $297,260
Steven Miyadi 25 7 $300,700