There seemed to be little hope for Chancer McPatrick at the start, when he hit the starting gate, bumped into a rival and jockey Flavien Prat lost his left leg iron.
No worries.
After a shaky beginning, Prat guided the 2-year-old colt trained by Chad Brown from the back of the pack to a half-length victory over 3-5 favorite Ferocious in the $300,000 Hopeful Stakes (G1) on Monday, the final day of the Saratoga summer season.
Flavien Prat. Benoit Photo
Chad Brown, Flavien Prat team up for another big win
“I hit the gate, lost my stirrups. It was pretty bad,’’ Prat said. “The first jump he went right into the starting gate. From there, I regrouped. I was obviously behind. I gave him a chance and when I tipped him out, he just made a great run like he did the first time.
“I got to the three-eighths pole, and I found I had horse underneath me – I was like, ‘Wow, I’ll have him a chance,’ and he responded right away. When it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”
It seemed a fitting finish to the meet for Brown and Prat. Brown won his seventh trainer’s title with a five-win day for a final total of 45 victories. Prat won his seventh Grade 1, 14th graded stakes, and 18th stakes race at the meet, finishing second to Ortiz with 45 overall wins.
The 7-furlong Hopeful is among the top races for 2-year-olds leading up to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. The next two top races for 2-year-olds, both Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In’’ races, are the Champagne (G1) at Aqueduct and the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland, both on Oct. 6.
Sent off at 4-1, Chancer McPatrick returned $10.80 on a $2 win bet and won in a time of 1:23.44 to improve to 2-for-2.
Ferocious, who also had a bumpy start and lost his left front shoe during the race, regrouped a few times but could not top the winner.
“He didn’t really give it to me [kicking in] until that horse [Chancer McPatrick] got close to me. When that horse got outside of me, he turned his engine on,’’ said Irad Ortiz, Jr., who was the meet’s leading rider with 52 victories. “He was fighting back, and he ran a really good race. I had a good trip. I got run down by that one, but he was fighting back so I’m happy with him.”
Incentive Pay, also trained by Brown, was third, followed by Smoken Wicked, Innovator, Mentee, Studlydoright, Tough Catch, and Mr. Mendelslew.
Brown’s four other winners on Monday were Marvelous Madison (2nd race, $4.10), Prerequisite (5th race, $4.40), Dea Matrona (9th race, $8.80), and Child of the Moon (11th race, $4.80).