Saez, Prat, Kimura will ride in Santa Anita's Grade 1s on Monday
Three of the top jockeys in North America will be on hand Monday to ride Santa Anita’s Memorial Day card highlighted by a trio of Grade 1 stakes.
Making their way to Santa Anita will be Luis Saez, who this year ranks second in North America in wins (119) and purse earnings ($10,092,489), and Flavien Prat, who relocated to Kentucky after the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in April and now is 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 who ride regularly.
Also returning to Santa Anita Monday is Kazushi Kimura. North America’s Eclipse champion apprentice jockey in 2019, Kimura spent the winter at Santa Anita before returning last month to his home base at Woodbine, where he is once again atop the rider standings.
Saez has six mounts at Santa Anita Monday. In the Grade 1s, 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 Señor Buscador (5-1) in the Hollywood Gold Cup for Todd Fincher.
Prat has five mounts Monday. His Grade 1 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 1 mounts are Gold Phoenix (4-1) in the Shoemaker Mile for D’Amato and long shot Yes This Time (15-1) in the Hollywood Gold Cup for Mark Glatt.
Santa Anita’s Memorial Day card kicks off at 4 p.m. EDT Monday.