For jockey Flavien Prat, it was an unforgettable trifecta.
In a single fell swoop, he managed to interrupt the document for stakes wins in a yr, tie the mark for many graded stakes victories, and are available up an intriguing Triple Crown prospect.
Not unhealthy for rather less than two minutes of labor.
The milestone and a tip of the hat towards the longer term got here courtesy of Godolphin’s Poster , who in his filth debut benefitted from an assertive experience by Prat to seize the $250,000 Remsen Stakes (G2) for 2-year-olds Dec. 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
“I am very grateful. There’s lots of people behind me who supported me all yr lengthy, and Godolphin is an enormous a part of it. They have been very supportive of me, and my agent (Brad Pegram) has carried out an excellent job as effectively. Simply very grateful,” mentioned Prat, who surpassed Irad Ortiz Jr.’s mark of 79 stakes wins and tied Jerry Bailey’s mark of 55 graded stakes victories. “It is good. It is off my again and it was one thing that was behind my thoughts for certain. You by no means know if that chance goes to come back once more, so it was one thing that I used to be undoubtedly attempting to attain. I’ve nice individuals supporting me all yr spherical.”
For coach Eoin Harty, having a rider in a groove like Prat was a blessing as Poster rallied widest on the ultimate flip, grabbed the lead on the prime of the stretch, after which held off a late bid by Aviator Gui to win by a nostril.
“(Prat) mentioned he felt he moved a bit too quickly, but when he did not make the transfer then, it is likely to be a bit of too late,” Harty mentioned. “That’s the reason you use guys like Prat.”
Flavien Prat aboard Poster after the pair’s victory within the Remsen Stakes
When requested if he gave Prat any directions, Harty responded with a solution reflective of speaking with a rider having a record-breaking yr.
“None,” Harty mentioned. “A man driving like that, on the prime of his recreation, I would just be an albatross round his neck. Simply let him do that factor.”
As a qualifying race for the Kentucky Derby (G1), Poster picked up 10 factors in a race that has produced the winners of two Triple Crown races and the Breeders’ Cup Basic (G1) in its earlier three editions. Simply final yr, the Remsen winner was Dornoch , who went on to seize the Belmont Stakes (G1) and Haskell Stakes (G1), whereas the runner-up by a nostril was Sierra Leone , who prevailed within the Breeders’ Cup Basic.
“If he can have the identical expertise because the horses who had been profitable on this race final yr, we will probably be very, very glad,” mentioned Michael Banahan, Godolphin USA’s director of bloodstock.
Poster, a homebred son of Munnings out of the Tapit mare Pin Up, got here into the Remsen undefeated in two begins, however they had been each on the turf. Given his breeding, it isn’t stunning the connections opted to provide him a strive on filth earlier than the yr got here to an finish.
“When he received at Keeneland (Oct. 12 in his second begin), we determine to provide him a possibility to see if he may add to our mixture of 3-year-olds on the filth,” Banahan mentioned.
Now, Poster is within the Triple Crown combine with stablemates equivalent to East Avenue , who was the favourite within the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) however misplaced all likelihood with a disastrous begin. Winner of the Breeders’ Futurity (G1), Banahan mentioned East Avenue is at Truthful Grounds Race Course & Slots with a possible goal of the Risen Star Stakes (G2).
“This win provides us an excellent winter to dream about these horses,” Banahan mentioned. “We’ll give you a plan to divide and conquer.”
Harty mentioned a return to New York for one of many 3-year-old Kentucky Derby preps is a risk.
LNJ Foxwoods’ Tux set the tempo within the Remsen with 4-5 favourite Keewaydin on his flank by fractions of :23.95 and :48.59. Prat and Poster had been final within the discipline of six after the opening quarter-mile and because the leaders started to tire leaving the quarter pole, they swept previous them and grabbed a two-length lead in midstretch.
The lone risk got here from Three Chimneys Farm’s Aviator Gui, who needed to look ahead to room within the stretch then swung huge and chewed into the lead whereas lugging in however fell a stride in need of reaching the entrance.
Poster ($11.60) lined the space in 1:50.37 on a quick observe in giving Prat his eightieth stakes win of 2024.
“Contemplating his pedigree, I do know the household’s ins and outs, and I did not assume he’d have an issue with (filth) and I am glad to be confirmed proper,” Harty mentioned.
(l-R): Michael Banahan, Flavien Prat, and Eoin Harty within the trophy presentation for the Remsen Stakes
Aviator Gui, a son of Uncle Mo who was coming off a fourth within the Awad Stakes on turf, picked up 5 qualifying factors whereas giving coach Chad Brown the sting of a second straight nostril loss within the Remsen.
“I believed (Aviator Gui) had the momentum to go by, however he wanted just a bit extra floor,” Brown mentioned. “He ran a very good race. He had been coaching within the morning like he was going to make an enormous ahead transfer on the filth and I am glad to see that.
“I proceed to be unfortunate on this race … Lugging in within the Remsen once more,” Brown mentioned with fun stemming from Sierra Leone’s nostril loss within the 2023 Remsen when he lugged in. “I by no means actually noticed that from that horse earlier than, so I’ve obtained a bit of bit of labor to do with him. He ran good and he confirmed he belongs round two turns. We’ll speak to the staff at Three Chimneys and possibly take him south.”
Brown, who additionally trains Keewaydin, mentioned the favourite had “no excuse.”
Tux was third, adopted by Studlydoright and Keewaydin. The second by fourth-place finishers earned Kentucky Derby qualifying factors on a 5-3-2-1 scale.
