Champion jockey Spencer relocates to Southern California

Jamie Spencer, a former champion jockey in Britain and Ireland, has moved to California and will begin riding at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Spencer, 46, has two mounts Saturday – Ellen Jorth in the fifth race and Santa Barbarian in the 10th race. He is booked to ride Brawler in Sunday’s seventh race and Tirupati in Monday’s Swingtime Stakes for fillies and mares on turf.

This is the first time Spencer has ridden on a full-time basis in the United States.

“Why not come here and see how it goes,” he said in an interview Thursday.

“I’ve been working in the mornings here and hopefully I’ll be busy at Santa Anita and Del Mar.”

The current Santa Anita meeting continues through Nov. 1. The Del Mar autumn meeting begins Nov. 6.

Spencer has 19 career wins in North America, including 10 in Grade 1 races. The latest Grade 1 victory was aboard Arabian Crown in the Canadian International last Saturday at Woodbine.

On Sept. 7, Spencer rode two winners at Kentucky Downs – Take Charge Star in the Grade 2, $1.04 million Franklin Simpson Stakes and Haatem in the Grade 3, $1.36 million Mint Millions Invitational.

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“I’ve been travelling quite a bit lately,” Spencer said.

Through his achievements, Spencer has yet to win a race in California.

“Hopefully, we can rectify that,” he said.

Spencer has ridden 12 Breeders’ Cup races at Santa Anita, including a second on Toast of New York in the 2014 Classic and third-place finishes on Trade Storm in the 2014 Mile and Just the Judge in the 2014 Filly and Mare Turf.

In March 2022, Spencer rode Space Traveller to a second in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile.

In three career mounts at Del Mar, Spencer’s best result has been a third in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby in 2023 aboard Silver Knott.

Spencer will not ride at Santa Anita on the weekend of Oct. 16-18. He is scheduled to fly to Melbourne, Australia, on Monday to ride Royal Supremacy in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup, a $4.5 million race at 1 1/2 miles on Oct. 17 at Caulfield Racecourse.

Spencer was the champion jockey in Ireland in 2004 and champion jockey in Britain in 2005 and 2007. In 2007, he tied for first with Seb Sanders with 190 wins.

This year, Spencer has ridden 18 winners in Britain. He has taken a different approach to his career in that country.

“You ride when there are chances,” he said. “The days of going up and down the motorway are not appealing.”

Spencer has ridden more than 2,000 winners in his career in Britain. Notable Group 1 wins include the English Oaks on Sariska in 2009, Ascot Gold Cup on Fame and Glory in 2011, and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes in 2023.

Spencer has ridden 29 winners at Royal Ascot and was leading rider at the famous meeting in 2006.

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