Saratoga Notebook: Family Affair for Davises at The Spa

Robbie Davis was in no hurry to let go of his 3-year-old filly Vallelujah on the morning of Aug. 14. The former jockey-turned-trainer held the bay New York-bred daughter of Teuflesberg as he showed her off to anyone who happened by his barn. He was entitled. Vallelujah pulled off a Saratoga shocker the day before when she lit up the tote board at odds of 24-1. What made this win even more special for the Davis family was it was Robbie's second career training win at Saratoga Race Course. The first came in 2013. The proverbial cherry on top was that his daughter, Jackie, was riding Vallelujah and it was her first-ever win at Saratoga. A family affair, indeed. What makes it even better is that they have all called Saratoga home. "It really was (special)," Davis said. "It's what we work for. It was great to be a part of that first win for her. And, oh yeah, absolutely, I had a big lump in my throat. Being able to win with my daughter was extra special." Davis and his wife, Marguerite, have six children. Two of them—Dylan and Jackie—are currently riding and another, Katie, is a former jockey. Another son, Edmund, is a trainer. Vallelujah is owned by East Ave Racing Stables and Sisu Racing Stables, and that is a story in itself. During the raging days of COVID-19, the Saratoga meet was closed to the public in 2020. Diehard fans of the meet would congregate outside the track and use ladders to peer over the green screens put over the fences to prevent anyone from watching from the street. "I would be hacking around on my horse and would ride over and ask what they were doing," Robbie Davis said. "I told them if they really wanted to get in, they should buy a horse and they could all be partners and they'll let you in." That's exactly what they did. They bought the filly, who was bred by Carolyn Karlson, and the rest is history. Davis said the filly was born on Valentine's Day and, after the group said, "Hallelujah!" the name became Vallelujah. The first Saratoga win in Davis' training career came with Sandyinthesun. His stable has only three horses. "I enjoy getting on horses in the mornings," said the 61-year-old Davis, who won 3,382 races as a jockey. "It's not a job, it's what I love to do." Rich Strike Arrives for Travers Just after 2 p.m. on Aug. 14, the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) winner arrived at Saratoga. Rich Strike, the improbable 80-1 winner of the Run for the Roses, was led off the Sallee horse van and taken to his home for the next two weeks, at the barn of trainer Dale Romans. Rich Strike will be running in the $1.25 million Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) on Aug. 27. Rich Strike started his trip to the Spa from trainer Eric Reed's Mercury Equine Center in Lexington, Ky., at 12:30 a.m. Aug. 14. He was accompanied by Ryan Cook, who was part of Rich Strike's security team during Kentucky Derby week. "He's a good shipper," said Reed, who drove separately and beat Rich Strike to Saratoga by a couple hours. "He sleeps right in the box stall." Red TR-Racing's Rich Strike, a son of Keen Ice, is staying in the same barn that his sire lived in in 2015 when he beat Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Travers. The Romans barn is also serving as a temporary home for another Travers contender, Ain't Life Grand, from trainer Kelly Von Hemel. Reed said he plans on giving Rich Strike his first look at the Saratoga track on Monday and will work him Friday or Saturday. In the Travers, Rich Strike will likely face the two horses—Epicenter and Zandon—who finished second and third, respectively, in the Derby. Reed isn't predicting a Travers victory, but is confident Rich Strike will run well. "I hope he runs well for his fans," Reed said. "I know he will. He is always running hardest at the end. If things happen and he gets his trip, he can beat all these horses. "He has already shown he can beat them." Yibir Suffers Setback Godolphin's Yibir (GB), the 2021 Eclipse Award winner for Champion Turf Male, will not be running in the 1 1/2-mile, $750,000 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer (G1T) on Aug. 27. "He met with a setback (Aug. 13), so, unfortunately, he is not going to make it out," Chris Connett, the traveling assistant for trainer Charlie Appleby, said Aug. 14 at Saratoga. "I don't know the details, but I got an email and, as far as I know, it's just a minor setback. Unfortunately, it came up at the wrong time." Connett said the 4-year-old Yibir is at Newmarket Racecourse in England. The son of Dubawi (IRE) has won seven of 16 career starts, has three seconds and three thirds, and has career earnings of $4,274,138. One of his four starts this year came in the Man o' War Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park May 14, when he finished third. In his only other starts in the United States, Yibir won the 2021 Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes and the 2021 Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Del Mar last November. "It would have been great to get him on a plane on (Aug. 18) and come over and have a real live chance in the Sword Dancer," Connett said. "These things happen, and he will be back to fight another day." Connett is still overseeing two Godolphin horses that have already won at Saratoga. With The Moonlight (IRE), winner of the Aug. 7 Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes (G3T), is being targeted to run in the 1 1/16-mile, $200,000 Lake Placid Stakes (G2T) for 3-year-old fillies Aug. 20 at Saratoga. Nations Pride (IRE), who won the Caesars Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes (G1T) Aug. 6, is training in Saratoga and awaiting the 1 1/2-mile, $1 million Caesars Jockey Club Derby (G1T) Sept. 17 at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet. Olympiad's Connections Consider Jockey Club Gold Cup While Olympiad's first start at Saratoga this season did not go as planned, the multiple grade 2 winner could resurface in another grade 1 stakes before the 40-day meet ends. Trainer Bill Mott said Aug. 14 that the son of Speightstown is being pointed toward the Sept. 3 $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at the Spa, a 1 1/4-mile test that awards the winner a free spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1). "It's absolutely on the table," Mott said. Olympiad, owned by Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stable, and LNJ Foxwoods, brought a five-race win streak (three of them in grade 2 stakes) into the 1 1/8-mile Whitney Stakes (G1) at the Spa and was the 9-5 second choice in a field of five. But running over a good, sealed racetrack, he never fired in the Aug. 6 stakes and finished fourth, about 9 1/2 lengths behind the victorious Life Is Good. "He had a bad day. I don't know what else to say," Mott said about the Whitney. "I don't know if it was the heat or whatever. It was a hot, muggy day, but I have no major excuse to offer for the Whitney. Though if you're a speed handicapper and look at the race, it came up a fast race." Bred by Emory A. Hamilton out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Tokyo Time, the 4-year-old Olympiad has won 7 of 11 starts with earnings of $1,472,560. The $700,000 purchase for Solis/Litt Bloodstock from the Gainesway consignment at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale was ranked seventh in this week's National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top 10 poll. Among the other top-level older horses who could possibly wind up in the JCGC are Americanrevolution, who was scratched from the Whitney, Dynamic One, First Captain, and Hot Rod Charlie.