International Star Jockey Jamie Spencer The Newest Addition To Santa Anita Park Jockey’s Colony

INTERNATIONAL STAR JOCKEY JAMIE SPENCER THE NEWEST ADDITION TO SANTA ANITA PARK JOCKEY’S COLONY

The former champion jockey in Britain and Ireland has won more than 2,000 races in his distinguished career including 7 European classics.

ARCADIA, CA (Oct. 9, 2026)— Santa Anita Park is gaining a major addition to its jockey’s colony. Starting on Saturday, international star reinsman Jamie Spencer will begin what the 46-year-old native of Ireland hopes will be an extended stay riding in Southern California.

Spencer is a former champion jockey in both Britain and Ireland who has won more than 2,000 races in his distinguished career. He arrived at Santa Anita this week by way of Woodbine in Canada, where on Sunday he added to his long list of notable achievements when winning the Grade I Canadian International aboard Arabian Crown for global powerhouse Godolphin and trainer Charlie Appleby.

Spencer will get things started at Santa Anita on Saturday with two mounts on a 10-race card. He’ll ride Ellen Jorth (4-1) in the fifth race for trainer Phil D’Amato and Santa Barbarian (3-1) in the 10th for trainer Ryan Hanson. This will be Spencer’s first time riding on a full-time basis in North America.

“Obviously it’s a quiet time of year in England (for racing),” Spencer explained. “Normally I shut down at the start of November as I don’t race on the all-weather (tracks) there in November, December, January and part of February. I just thought this year let’s try something different. Carry on here at Santa Anita for this meet, then hopefully Del Mar, and if things go well continue on at Santa Anita through the winter.”

In the U.S. and Canada, Spencer has won 19 races including 10 Grade Is. He has ridden 11 Breeders’ Cup programs, which include multiple editions at Santa Anita. In the 2014 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Santa Anita, Spencer came up agonizingly short on Toast of New York when finishing second by a nose to Bayern.

“I got beat a pixel that day,” Spencer recalled.

Spencer first burst onto the scene in Europe in 1998 when at the age of 17, he became the youngest jockey to win a classic when guiding Tarascon to victory in the Irish 1,000 Guineas. It was his first of seven wins in European classic races. He was the champion apprentice in Ireland the following year. Spencer then went on to be the champion flat jockey in Ireland in 2004 and in Britain in both in both 2005 and 2007, the second of which he shared the title with Seb Sanders.

During his stay in Southern California, Spencer will be represented by agent Ryan Cosato. Spencer said the idea first formulated to ride full-time at Santa Anita this summer. He initially contacted friend and Santa Anita-based trainer Simon Callaghan, who then put him in contact with Cosato to help facilitate the move. Cosato is the son of owner Nick Cosato of Slam Dunk Racing.

“I knew that at this time of year I was probably going to be over here again in the states riding a few meetings on the east coast,” Spencer said., “I thought that once I got that out of the way, I might as well have a go in California. I’m not setting any goals for my time here. I’m just hoping it goes well and if it does, then I’ll be sticking around.”

Spencer will take one detour away from Santa Anita during the final four weeks of the Autumn Meet. A week from Saturday on Oct. 17, Spencer will be in Australia where he is scheduled to ride Royal Supremacy in the Group I, $4.5 million Caulfield Cup going 1 ½ miles at Caulfield Racecourse.

Spencer’s first stakes mount this meet at Santa Anita comes on Monday during a special holiday program. In the Swingtime Stakes for fillies and mares going one mile on turf, Spencer is booked to ride Tirupati for trainer Jonathan Thomas. Tirupati is the 5-2 favorite on the morning line in a competitive field of eight.