Bill Davis, a kingpin of the western Canadian standardbred industry for years, surprised some when he announced last summer that he was moving his stable back to
his native Ontario. Although his numbers have been solid since, the horseman said yesterday that he is waiting for his operation to heat up.
After Davis' newly-claimed pupil Duke Did It captured the second dash last night at Woodbine Racetrack, the horsemen spoke with Chad Rozema of the Woodbine Entertainment Group during an interview seen coast-to-coast nationally on Race Night on The Score.
When asked about how his stable has responded to the move so far, Davis -- who started racing his stock in Ontario full-time in June of 2009 -- was rather to the point.
"It's been kind of slow since we got here," said Davis, who is getting closer to his 3,000th career training victory. "A lot of them (horses) got claimed. I've had more bad luck than good luck, but we've got to battle 'er out and see what happens."
With Davis having annually torched western Canadian training colonies in the past, he is obviously used to setting lofty goals -- and probably used to attaining them all.
Although he may not be pleased with his stable's output since heading east, Davis' operation produced very solid numbers in 2009. His stable sent out 355 starters and recorded 84 wins, 57 second-place finishes and 47 thirds, good for $573,360 in purse earnings and a trainer's batting average of .369. Davis, who has recorded more than 5,000 wins in the race bike over the course of his career, also had another very productive year in the sulky in 2009.
So far in 2010, the Davis stable has sent out 11 starters and has recorded two wins and two second-place finishes. His UDR currently sits at $26,955 and his stable has banked $26,955 in purses.
Although he may not like the clip his barn is currently firing at, the one thing that Davis does appreciate is the abundance of racing venues for his stock to perform at.
"For sure," he said when asked about his appreciation for the multitude of racing locales, "you've just got to pick your spots. You've got to have some 'B' horses and some 'A' horses and you've got to pick your spots."
Another that has headed east and has been picking his spots is Bill's son, Billy Davis, Jr., who announced that he was making the move before his father did.
"Yeah, he's doing a lot of Flamboro and Western Fair. He's starting at the small tracks and building himself up."
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