Unbeaten John Hancock Boosts Derby Stock, Prat Climbs Equibase Jockey Leaderboard

Racing
Flavien Prat, John Hancock, Sam F. Davis Stakes, Tampa Bay Downs, Kentucky Derby, Triple Crown, America's Best Racing, horse racing, ABR
Jockey Flavien Prat and John Hancock return the winner’s circle after a victory in the Sam F. Davis Stakes Feb. 8 at Tampa Bay Downs. (SV Photography)

After an impressive victory in the $200,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday, John Hancock moved up to 17th in the Equibase standings by purse earnings and seventh within the 3-year-old division with $138,560 in earnings.

The Constitution colt narrowly defeated a determined Owen Almighty, earning 20 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve qualifying points to rank seventh on the Road to the Derby leaderboard. John Hancock won his career debut - also at Tampa Bay Downs - posting a 94 Equibase Speed Figure and he earned a 96 speed figure for his Sam F. Davis Stakes win.

Tampa Bay Downs was also the host track for the next stop on the Road to the Longines Kentucky Oaks last weekend: the $100,000 Suncoast Stakes, a one-mile and 40-yard race on the dirt for 3-year-old fillies worth 20 points to the winner. La Cara absolutely dominated in her 2025 debut for trainer Mark Casse, romping by 6 ¼ lengths. The Street Sense filly moved up to 68th by purse earnings in the 3-year-old division and second on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 33 points.

Colloquial, a 3-year-old Vekoma colt from the George Weaver barn, earned the highest Equibase Speed Figure of the week, scoring a 119 in his second career start in a maiden special weight at Aqueduct. Collloquial romped by seven lengths after a layoff of more than 7 ½ months to earn the 119, which is the top Equibase speed figure for any 3-year-old in 2025. 

Flavien Prat, the 2024 Eclipse Award winner as outstanding jockey, won at a 36% clip last week while taking four trips to the winner’s circle with $271,728 in earnings, inching up three spots in the Equibase jockey standings into fifth. On Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs, Prat won the Sam F. Davis Stakes aboard John Hancock and then traveled 2,500 miles to Santa Anita Park on Sunday to ride three winners from four mounts, including a victory in the Sweet Life Stakes aboard Casalu for trainer Bob Baffert. Prat is winning at 33% in 2025 with 29 wins from 87 starts and $1,680,843 in earnings. He also is winning at a 50% clip in graded stakes races so far this year.

Irad Ortiz Jr. also continues to find the winner’s circle, remaining on top of the Equibase standings by wins with 33 and purse earnings with $3,362,510.

Saffie Joseph Jr. remains on top of the 2025 trainer standings by purse earnings, picking up six more wins and $209,590 in earnings while winning at a 38% rate last week. He now has $3,465,027 in earnings, more than a million ahead of Steve Asmussen in second.

North American leaders lists for horses, jockeys, trainers and owners are available on equibase.com and you can filter the data to view by a wide variety of categories including age, sex, surface and race type.


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