Thermal, Calif. – Placing a bet on Justin Prather and Grazie to win the $10,000 Spotlight 29 Casino 1.10–1.15m Gambler’s Choice would have paid off on Saturday night, March 28, at Desert Spring Fling 2. In an exciting conclusion to under-the-lights competition for the 2025-2026 Desert International Horse Park season, Prather and Grazie took some gambles to top a 26-horse field for the victory.
Justin Prather and Grazie. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Utilizing the unique gambler’s choice format, riders had 60 seconds to accumulate as many points as possible by jumping fences assigned point values ranging from 20 to 120. With riders picking their own paths around the Grand Prix Stadium, the class rewarded both strategy and speed – and a bit of risk-taking as well. At the conclusion of the 60 seconds, riders had to make the choice whether to jump the “joker” fence, the highest fence on course which would either add or subtract 200 points from their score.
“Walking the course, there were a lot of people doing like very deep analysis. We could have been on Wall Street!” said Prather in discussing his course strategy. “I had a rough idea of what I wanted to do, and I got to watch a little bit and just kind of kept revising.”
Justin Prather and Grazie. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Part of Prather’s approach was opening his round with a move that no one else attempted: an impressive slice from one high-value fence immediately to another. That move, coupled with quick riding throughout and a successfully cleared joker fence, clinched Prather and Grazie the win with a score of 1370.
“I knew I had those first two jumps kind of in my back pocket as a bit of a slick move that I could pull off. I just kind of rode off the vibes!” said Prather. “I like this kind of stuff, and Grazie’s always game to come play with me for this kind of thing.”
Justin Prather and Grazie were presented as the winners of the $10,000 Spotlight 29 Casino Gambler’s Choice. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Finishing in second place with 1300 points were Carla Diewert and her own Cogito. Third place with 1250 points went to Sarah Almasri and Starboy, owned by Morad Almasri. With time as the tiebreaker, Jordan Gilchrist on Duchesse Z and Mackenzie Hudson on Ekyra Fortuna also finished on 1250 points each to take fourth and fifth, respectively.
Of his 12-year-old winning mount, owned by Bradon Equestrian LTD, Prather said, “She’s a rocket! I got her around this time in her 9-year-old year. It was a little bit rocky getting started. I actually never tried the horse. I bought it off of a video. Then two summers ago, and really last winter down here, we kind of dialed in the routine and the plan. We stopped trying to be greedy and jump bigger and just left her where she’s a winner – 1.30m, 1.35m, a little 1.40m.”
Second place went to Carla Diewert and Cogito. Photo by High Desert Sport Photo
Another area where Grazie excels is in the victory gallop, and the mare and Prather led an exceptionally speeding one on Saturday night.
“It’s double exciting to win on this horse because she loves to win probably more than I do, and she lives for the victory gallop,” said Prather. “That’s we try and win, to give her the victory gallop, and then I just set her free. It has come up a few times that I tend to overdue a victory gallop, but whatever, it’s fun. It’s her signature move!”
To view complete results from the $10,000 Spotlight 29 Casino 1.10–1.15m Gambler’s Choice, click here.