Siblings start side-by-side
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Katie Davis, a 2010 graduate of Saratoga Springs High School, picked up her first mount at her home racetrack aboard Uncle Youge in Race 7 Wednesday at Saratoga Race Course.
In doing so she is following in the footsteps of her father, retired jockey Robbie Davis, and siblings Dylan and Jacqueline Davis.
“It was a lot of nerves involved,” Katie Davis said after the race. “It’s hard to cut the nerves off when you ride your first mount here.”
The fourth-year jockey is remembers coming to the Spa to watch her father ride growing up. It’s a place she’s wanted to ride at since she began her career in 2014.
“There’s no other racetrack like this racetrack — especially after riding at different racetracks,” Katie Davis said. “They keep the racing going here — the people, the public. My goal was to have an opportunity to ride one mount here at least.”
Fittingly, she was next to a familiar face in the Saratoga starting gate — brother Dylan Davis aboard longshot Fear. Dylan Davis is a regular rider at Saratoga with four wins so far this meet.
Uncle Youdge and No. 1A Vici engaged in an early speed duel for the first three furlongs with the other half of the entry No. 1 Commend following close behind. Uncle Youdge, a 4-year-old gelding, went three wide around the final turn and had space on the inside to run, but tired late to finish sixth in a field of eight.
Both halves of the entry from owners Adele B. Dischneider and Claiborne Farm finished strong to take the top-two places. The 5 ½ furlong sprint on a firm Mellon Turf course was completed in 1:00.85. The course record set by Lady Shipman in 2015 is 1:00.46.
Katie Davis, who rides primarily at Laurel Park, had a career record of 97109-110 from 979 mounts heading into Wednesday’s card at Saratoga. In 2017 she has already had the best year of her young career, including highs in wins (43) and earnings ($1.2 million).
At her current pace, she will easily break her mounts record of 398 by October. In May, she rode a horse named Next Best Thing to her first stakes victory.
“I’m just trying to move forward and get as much opportunity as I can,” Katie Davis said. “Keep improving. I didn’t have the greatest bug (year). I stayed in New York and only got a few mounts.”
She has scheduled mounts in Delaware Park Thursday and Laurel Park Friday.
McLaughlin double
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin continued his strong meet by saddling an early double Wednesday at Saratoga Race Course.
In Race 2, Spieth wired the field to break his maiden in his 5th start and Muqtaser finished best to win Race 3.
Spieth, a 3-year-old Bernardini Colt out of Stage Luck by Unridled’s Song, recovered from a bump at the start to take the lead and set fractions of 24.03, 48.68 and 1:12.96. He opened a three-length lead at the top of the stretch and drew away under urging from jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. to top second place Fireball Shot by 6 ¼ lengths.
Spieth stopped the timer at 1:49.76 for a mile and an eighth on a fast main track.
Muqtaser finished best in Race 3, a $95,000 allowance going 1 3/8 miles on the inner turf. Longshot Mark My Style set the pace with Muqtaser behind in second for the majority of the race. Jockey Joe Bravo spun Muqtaser, a 5-yearold Distorted Humor gelding out of Live Well Lived by Tiznow, three wide into the stretch and got a response. Muqtaser drew even inside the final furlong then kicked away for a 1 ¼-length victory.
The victory improved Muqtaser’s record to 5-1-3 from 14 starts and more than $200,000 in earnings thanks to the $57,000 winner’s share.
McLaughlin continues to be one of the most consistent trainers at the Spa. He’s saddled 10 winners out of 37 starters and finished third seven more times.
Race 1
Meteoroid was pulled up after making it over the sixth fence in Wednesday’s Steeplechase opener and was euthanized on the inner turf course after an injury to his left front leg.
It was the 12th breakdown of the Saratoga meet — seven racing and five training — and the 14th overall at Saratoga in 2017.
Since 2009 there have bas been an average of 13 horse deaths per year at the Saratoga Race Course grounds. The fewest came in 2011 when there were nine breakdowns. The most in one year during that time was 16 in 2016 and 2012.
Meteoroid was a Dynaformer gelding out of Enthused by Seeking the Gold. The 6-year-old was making his 30th career start, half of which came in jump races. His career record was 1-10-5 for earnings of $72,995.
Jockey Thomas Garner walked away from the incident. Leslie F. Young trained Meteoroid for owner Amy Taylor Rowe.
There was another scary incident as the field went over the eighth fence when Bishop’s Castle fell. After being checked out for injury, the 8-year-old gelding and jockey Michael Mitchell both walked off the course.
Mutasaawy, a 7-year-old Tapit gelding out of Prettu Proud by Mr. Greeley, won the race. The stretch run drew an inquiry after it appeared Mutasaawy drifted out close to runner-up Aflutter, but the stewards let the result stand.
The victory improved Mutasaawy’s record to 8-9-5 from 36 starts. It was jockey Darren Nagle’s 11th winning ride of the year to keep him atop the National Steeplechase Association standings.
Sean McDermott, Kieran Norris and Ross Geraghty are tied for second with eight winners.