Apprentice jockey Katie Davis, a daughter of retired jockey Robbie Davis, scored the first win of her career Feb. 21 by guiding Ivanovna to a one-length triumph in the second race at Aqueduct Racetrack (VIDEO).
The breakthrough win came with Davis' 15th career mount and she was riding Ivanova for the first time in a race. After trailing in sixth early, Ivanovna launched an outside rally on the second turn before taking the lead in midstretch to secure the victory in the muddy one-mile race for $12,500 filly and mare claimers.
Ed Barker trains Ivanovna and owns her in partnership with Happy Hour Farms and Joseph Schweigert. The 4-year-old Red Giant filly was Davis' lone mount on the card.
"It's nice to know you have a horse who can run," said 22-year-old Davis, who is a sister of jockeys Jackie and Dylan Davis. "It was a great experience. I galloped that horse in the morning a few times. She listens to me, and (one of the owners) said she doesn't really listen to anybody, so I have good hands with her. I was on the inside, ripping my goggles down, until I took her out in the clear."
Davis' father won 1,297 races at Aqueduct and 3,382 races total before he retired in 2002. Robbie Davis also rode in one race in 2011 and in five races in 2013. Jackie Davis won her first race Nov. 5, 2008 at Aqueduct and is currently competing at Parx Racing. Dylan, whose first win came on Sept. 19, 2012 at Suffolk Downs, is spending this winter at Gulfstream Park.
Robbie Davis now trains horses, and his first win as a trainer came with Sandyinthesun Dec. 3, 2011 at Aqueduct. The gelding was ridden that day by Jackie Davis.
