Davis rewarding bettors with hot start to Saratoga meet
?q=100)
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Jockey Dylan Davis has gotten his Saratoga meet off a terrific start with eight winners – including two stakes – from 37 mounts, punctuated by a four-win Saturday.
The four wins on Saturday’s card included a victory aboard Pounce in the Grade 3 Lake George Stakes for trainer Mark Casse. Davis, who attended Saratoga High School, had twice previously in his career won three races on a Saratoga card, but never four.
“I don’t really think about those things, but when I get it, it’s really nice,” said Davis, who in a two-week span at Aqueduct in February 2018 had a six-win day and a five-win day. “I think it’s really been a progressive kind of thing. Coming here every year, building the business and the relationships and finally getting the chances I deserve. I’m just staying focused and trying to ride the best race possible and capitalize on the guys who make mistakes out there.”
Opening day might have been a harbinger for Davis, who won two races including the Schuylerville Stakes with 44-1 shot The Queens M G for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. In fact, all eight of Davis’s wins at this meet have paid double-digit prices. Three of those wins have come for Casse, who has been a long-time Davis supporter and is off to a great start at the meet in his own right with six wins so far.
“I seldom give instructions, but I asked him to see if he could get her to rate and just settle because I was still trying to figure out why she wasn’t performing better,” said Casse, referring to Pounce in the Lake George. “I thought he got her to settle perfect. He’s an extremely good rider and even a better person.”
Davis, 29, said he’s hopeful the fast start can propel him to the best Saratoga meet he’s ever had and set him up for a strong fall. Davis’s personal best Saratoga win total was 19, which occurred last year.
“When you make a statement like what I’m doing the first two weeks, I think it means a lot,” said Davis, who credited his agent, Mike Migliore, with helping expand his business. “Hopefully, it’ll carry through for the remainder of the year.”
Remarkably, Davis is one of four jockeys to record four-win days at Saratoga this meet. On Friday, Irad Ortiz Jr. won four and on Sunday Flavien Prat and Manny Franco each won four. Prat’s big day has carried him to the top of standings with 12 victories.
Davis will get the opportunity to ride at Del Mar in Southern California for the first time when he rides Master Piece in Sunday’s Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes. On May 4, Davis rode Master Piece to a neck victory over Ottoman Fleet for Rick Dutrow in the Grade 3 Fort Marcy Stakes at Aqueduct. Master Piece won the 2022 Eddie Read when in the barn of Michael McCarthy.
Davis will ride the first half of Saturday’s Saratoga card before catching a flight to California.
“That’s exciting,” Davis said. “You have to go and do those things, ride the big races, to get to the next level,” Davis said. “I feel like I’m right there, it’s just that one extra step. I want to be in that elite group where you’re riding the Grade 1s and I’m one of those go-to riders.”
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.