Jockey Katie Davis turned her first appearance in a Santa Anita race into the first graded-stakes win of her career by rallying 12-1 People Watching to victory in the Autumn Miss Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Sunday.
Read more LAFC rallies to draw Galaxy in El Trafico, clinch MLS Cup playoff berth
Davis, 33, daughter of former jockey Robbie Davis, sister of active riders Dylan Davis and Jackie Davis and wife of retired rider Trevor McCarthy, usually competes in New York but made the trip west with the filly she’d ridden to an allowance-level victory at Saratoga for trainer Tom Proctor.
After morning-line top two Somerset West and Green Carrera were scratched from the Grade III Autumn Miss early in the day, People Watching ($26.40) started from post 8 going 1 mile on turf. Davis quickly maneuvered her to the two path, then went outside from fourth on the second turn and reeled in the leaders. Ramayana and jockey Jamie Spencer closed well to finish second, and Brave Deb and Emisael Jaramillo were third.
“It felt good,” Davis told a Santa Anita TV interviewer. “I knew a couple of guys were behind me trying to catch me, but I knew she had it when (People Watching’s) ears (perked) up.”
Read more World Series: Brewers rally past Rays to take 2-0 lead
Santa Anita said Davis is the first woman jockey to win a stakes at the Arcadia track since Jessica Pyfer with Bally’s Charm in the May 28, 2022 Show Chief Stakes.
Juan Hernandez won races with Dhitjari and Chiseled in Stone to retake a solo lead in the Santa Anita autumn jockey standings from Jaramillo, 19-17.
The pick-six paid $7,477 after bettors put up $536,793 in pursuit of a two-day carryover of $109,519.
Read more World Series: Rays’ uncharacteristic mistakes leave them in 2-0 hole