After leading the nation in wins and total purse money for the week, Tyler Gaffalione was named Jockey of the Week for Nov. 16 through Nov. 22. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, is for jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 active riders in the United States as well as retired and permanently disabled jockeys.
Beginning the week at Churchill Downs on Wednesday, Tyler Gaffalione won three races, one each for trainers Mike Maker, Chad Brown and Eddie Kenneally. He picked up three more wins on Thursday with two for Mike Maker and one for David Vance. On Friday, Gaffalione continued his winning ways with four more wins, one each for trainers Bernie Flint, Mike Maker, Bret Calhoun and James DiVito. Saturday saw Gaffalione head to the winner's circle four times with two wins for Mike Maker and one each for Phil Sims and Mark Casse. In the final card of the week on Sunday, he posted one win for Chad Brown.
In addition to a 50 percent win rate for the week, Gaffalione hit the board with 76 percent of his mounts and $463,611 in total purses to lead all jockeys.
He out-polled fellow jockeys, Joe Bravo who had two stakes wins at Gulfstream Park West, Abel Cedillo who won the Cary Grant Stakes at Del Mar, Marcelino Pedroza with two stakes wins at Indiana Grand and Joel Rosario who won the New York Stallion Series Stakes at Aqueduct aboard Funny Guy.
Gaffalione has won 14 graded stakes so far this year including the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational aboard Zulu Alpha. He was the Eclipse Award winning Apprentice in 2015.
Leading the jockey standings at the Churchill Downs Fall Meet with 32 wins, seven ahead of Ricardo Santana, Jr., Tyler will head to Gulfstream Park after Churchill Downs closes on Sunday.
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