Since jockey Tyler Gaffalione arrived on the Churchill Downs scene in 2018 he's dominated the standings. And, with 16 days left of the 2022 Spring Meet, Gaffalione is on track to record the most wins in the Spring Meet in the last decade.
Through 27 days of the 44-day meet, Gaffalione has found the winner's circle 37 times for a 1.37 win/day average. He's on pace to record 60 wins at the meet, which would be the most since Corey Lanerie's 71 victories in 2012.
Gaffalione has won many types of races this meet from $8,000 claiming events to the Grade 1, $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic aboard Santin.
Out of the 37 wins, Gaffalione has won for 16 different trainers – Joe Sharp (6 wins), Steve Asmussen (5), Mike Maker (5), Greg Foley (4), Todd Pletcher (3), Robert Medina (2), Brendan Walsh (2), Wesley Ward (2) and has had one win for Rusty Arnold, Gerald Bennett, Chad Brown, Mark Casse, Norm Casse, Brad Cox, Robertino Diodoro, and Mike Lauer.
When Gaffalione has won races the current Spring Meet, they have been in bunches. There were only two days when Gaffalione found the winner's circle that he didn't win multiple races on the card. He's had 13 multi-win days including four-win days on May 15, June 4 and June 8.
As much as 27-year-old Gaffalione has controlled the standings, he will have a lot of work to do to win the most races ever in the Spring Meet. In 1991, Pat Day recorded an astounding 90 wins in the 55-day meet for a 1.64 win/day average. The most victories Gaffalione has recorded at a Churchill Downs Spring Meet was when he won the 2021 title with 47 wins.
The complete list of annual Churchill Downs riding champions and their win totals can be found on www.kentuckyderby.com/media.
Following two days riding at Belmont Park, Gaffalione returned Sunday where he had mounts in Races 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8.
Gaffalione is represented by agent Matt Muzikar, who also books the races for the No. 2 rider in the Spring Meet standings Ricardo Santana Jr. (20 wins). They're followed by Rafael Bejarano (18), Brian Hernandez Jr. (17) and Florent Geroux (15).
Overall, Gaffalione has won seven Churchill Downs titles, including the last six meets. His first title came in the 2018 Fall Meet.
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