Sophie Doyle Unanimously Voted Jockey Of The Week After First Grade 1 Win

Jockey Sophie Doyle speaks to her mother via FaceTime after guiding Street Band #3 to victory in the $1,000,000 Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pennsylvania on September 21, 2019.

In a rare unanimous vote, Sophie Doyle was voted Jockeys’ Guild Foundation Detox Jockey of the Week for September 16-22, 2019. The award is voted on by a panel of experts for riding accomplishments by members of the Jockeys’ Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 riders in North America. Jockey of the Week is sponsored by FoundationDetox.com, America’s #1 Equine Toxin Remover.

In a weekend with multiple stakes races and upsets, Sophie Doyle stood out to voters as the runaway contender for Jockey of the Week honors after achieving a personal milestone on Saturday: winning her first career Grade 1 stakes race.

Doyle was aboard Street Band in the $1,000,000 Cotillion Stakes at Parx last weekend; the race was one of several Grade 1 events last week but it was the only one to carry a Win and You’re In berth to the 2019 Breeders’ Cup World Championships.

Doyle, Street Band’s usual rider, had to contend with 10 other 3-year-old fillies in the 1-1/16 miles event on the main track. They weaved their way up from last to close in the stretch, defeating post-time favorite Guarana and Jose Ortiz by over two lengths.

Street Band ($17.40) is trained by Larry Jones, who is also co-owner and co-breeder of the Istan filly, out of Street Minstrel, by Street Cry.

Doyle won her first graded stake in 2015 aboard Fioretti in the Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes at Keeneland. Her next graded stakes wins were all aboard Street Band in 2019, first in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), then in the Indiana Oaks (G3).

The Cotillion was Doyle’s only win in 13 starts, and though it was her only stakes start of the week, the victory landed her in second place by stakes earnings for the week among all North American jockeys. The race was the only start of the day at Parx for Doyle, who had been riding at Arlington throughout the week. She ended the 2019 Arlington meet as the seventh leading jockey; in 2018, she was the third leading jockey of the meet.

Doyle was the fourth leading rider by total earnings for the week, with $608,734 earned. She has won $2.2 million in purse money in 2019 and has earned $7.7 million in her riding career to date. Doyle has 43 wins in 446 starts in 2019 and is 274 for 2,704 lifetime.