Even before the results were tallied, jockey Katie Davis already counted her Gulfstream Park arrival on Friday as a personal win. Stepping into her first full Championship Meet with a mix of excitement and resolve, the 33-year-old rider embraced the shift from her usual New York winter base and welcomed the familiar faces she would be competing alongside.
“I rode with the big guys anyway in New York, so coming down here and doing it is nothing new,” Davis said, soaking in the atmosphere of her new surroundings. “I love it. I love the change. I’m enjoying the opportunities that I’m getting, and it’s a great experience.”
Her afternoon began in Race 2, where she finished fourth on Bella Bello Banker for trainer Devon Dougherty. A strong second aboard favored G Speedy in Race 5 followed, building momentum toward the moment she broke through in Race 8. There, she teamed with the 4-year-old gelding Etendre for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., guiding him from a troubled start to a spirited victory in the 6½-furlong claiming sprint.
Davis had been breezing regularly for Joseph, a connection that led to this opportunity. “Before the fall I shipped out for Saffie. We weren’t working for him, but he said, ‘Hey, I’ve got a horse going to Delaware. Would you like to ride it?’ I said, ‘Yes, of course.’”
This winter marks the first time she has been able to venture out for a full season, supported by family circumstances that now make the move possible. “My daughter isn’t in school yet, and my husband can work from home. My in-laws live in Delray, so it just works.”
Sent off a short-priced favorite, Etendre broke in the air and dropped to last, forcing Davis to adjust immediately. Instead of taking up a prominent position, she waited, saving ground and keeping the gelding settled. When a tight rail opening appeared at the top of the stretch, she committed, slipping through and finishing 1¾ lengths clear in 1:18.49.
“It didn’t go as planned. He’s a speed horse and he was a little tense in the gate,” she said. “I was like, ‘I’ll just sit here and get in striking position,’ and they left it open just a tad and he went right through. It was tight… but I was like, ‘You can do it.’ I’m very happy with the outcome.”
Davis, who drew wider attention earlier this year through the documentary series Race for the Crown, used her recent suspension to familiarize herself with the track, breezing horses and adjusting to Gulfstream’s quicker surface. “It’s like riding a bicycle,” she said. “New place, sometimes you get those butterflies… but once you get on the horse, you’re there, you’re ready and it’s game on.”
Among Friday’s performers, jockey Edgard Zayas posted victories with in Race 1 and Ninja Star in Race 7, while Edgar Perez matched the feat aboard Frosty Belle in Race 2 and New Life in Race 6. Jose D’Angelo added another winner with Esoooo in Race 4.
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