Davis Not Looking to be ‘Cheap Speed’

[wang1993]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York–Twenty-eight-year-old trainer Chris Davis has gotten off to a pretty fast start since going out on his own last fall, and http://www.nwcpaps.com/forum/index.php?page=topicview&id=general-chat%2Fraiders-donald-penn&post_id=3682&redirected=1#post_3682his career could really take off depending on the result of Sunday’s GII Prioress S. at Saratoga. He’ll saddle the fleet-footed Student ....... (Colonel John), last seen crushing older allowance foes by 11 lengths at Ellis July 14. A lifelong racetracker, Davis is the son of trainer Liane Davis and assistant starter Hershell Davis. “I grew up in the industry,” he said. “My mom’s a trainer and my dad has galloped horses and worked on the starting gate for more than 30 years. I grew up on the ........................... of the Chicago tracks–Hawthorne, Arlington and Sportsman’s Park, going to the Fair Grounds in the 90s with my parents. I’ve been all over.” Davis began galloping horses for trainer Richard http://www.vksnv.sk/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=18892#18892Hazelton at the age of 15, and later worked for Wayne Catalano and Pat Byrne–he got on the likes of 2012 GI Florida Derby winner Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy) for the latter. Eventually he took a job with Mike Stidham as an assistant trainer, and worked for him for some 5 1/2 years. “I was the travel guy,” he said. “Wherever a stakes horse went, I went.” Eventually he was recruited by top California-based conditioner Phil D’Amato and made the move out West. “I liked California; it was a good time,” Davis said. “But I’m a Midwest guy. I like racing back here, I’ve got family back here and most of the people that I know client-wise are more back here.” So when an opportunity came about to be based closer to home, he jumped at it. Given two horses to train for Louise and Kiki Courtelis’s Town and Country Farms, Davis went out on his own. His first starter was Town and Country’s My Year http://g3dev.info/forum/topic/137180is a Day (Fr) (King’s Best) in the GIII Franklin County S. at Keeneland in October, and his first winner was maiden breaker Uncork the York (Ire) (Vale of York {Ire}) for the same operation at Fair Grounds the following month.