Tag: People

What does a jockey do after winning the Saratoga riding title and before the next NYRA race meet? If you are Irad Ortiz, Jr. you take advantage of the time to ride at race meets with lucrative stakes races. Between Colonial Downs and Kentucky Downs, Ortiz, Jr. recorded six stakes wins including two graded stakes to earn Jockey of the Week honors for Sept. 6 through Sept. 11. The award, which is voted on by a panel of racing experts, honors jockeys who are members of the Jockeys' Guild, the organization which represents more than 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

On Tuesday, Ortiz, Jr. travelled to Colonial Downs on Virginia Derby Day. After winning three races on the card, trainer Robert Falcone, Jr. gave a leg up to Ortiz, Jr. on Spirit and Glory in the Woodford Reserve Virginia Oaks. Off as the sixth choice in the field of 14, Spirit and Glory came off the rail down the backside and pulled clear late to win in 1:48.25 for the 1-1-1/8 mile turf test.

Riding for trainer Todd Pletcher, Ortiz, Jr. was aboard Capensis in the day's feature, the Grade 3 New Kent County Virginia Derby. Off as the favorite in the 10-horse field, Ortiz, Jr. settled Capensis in sixth through the half mile. With a burst of speed to pass tiring rivals, he drew clear in the stretch to post a two-length victory in 1:48.15 for the mile and one-eighth turf race.

After winning five races on Tuesday, Ortiz, Jr. won four on Wednesday including three Virginia-restricted turf stakes races. Ortiz, Jr. was first aboard Wolfie's Dynaghost for trainer Tom Albertrani in the Bert Allen Stakes posting a three-length win as the favorite in 1:42.62 for one and one sixteenth miles.

Riding for Todd Pletcher, Ortiz, Jr. was on two-year-old Sendero in the Jamestown Stakes. Off as the favorite in the nine-horse field, Sendero dueled for the lead on the backstretch before taking command entering the stretch to win by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:04.50 for the five and one-half furlongs sprint.

Ortiz, Jr. capped his raid on the stakes races at Colonial Downs with an upset win on Boldor for trainer Steve Asmussen in the Meadow Stable Stakes. Boldor tracked the leaders on the outside up the backstretch before overpowering the favorite, Grateful Bred in deep stretch to win by a length in 1:02.10 for five and one-half furlongs. It was Ortiz, Jr.'s fourth win of the day.

Ortiz, Jr. moved on to Kentucky Downs on Saturday for the mount on Campanelle for trainer Wesley Ward in the G3 Mint Ladies Sprint. Off as the heavy favorite in the 12-horse field, Campanelle dueled down the stretch with Bay Storm to prevail by a nose in 1:14.57 for the 6-1/2 furlong turf race.

“I love her,” said Ortiz, Jr. “She's the most kind, fun to ride. She's crazy good.”

Ortiz, Jr.'s statistics for the week included 12 wins from 34 mounts and $1,585,752 in total purses.

Other contenders for Jockey of the Week were Vincent Cheminaud with a graded stakes win, Juan J. Hernandez who won the G1 Del Mar Futurity, Mike Smith with a graded stakes win at Del Mar, and Ramon Vazquez who won the G1 Del Mar Debutante.

The post Irad Ortiz, Jr. Wins Six Stakes En Route To Jockey Of The Week Title appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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With an unprecedented 11 wins and $2,048,712 in purse earnings, trainer Mike Maker already has enjoyed a record run at the FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs this year — with the opportunity to further pad his statistics.

Maker, working on breaking his own record of six Kentucky Downs training titles, had five horses scheduled to run on Tuesday's nine-race card comprising the races that were postponed from Sunday because of inclement weather. He has 14 horses entered for Wednesday's closing card, including two entrants in four races.

Maker is represented in the three stakes that close out the meet. He has favored Really Good and Bourbon Therapy in the $500,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile that was rescheduled from the Sept. 3 card truncated by heavy rain. Real Good, the 5-2 favorite in the Global Tote morning line, won his lone start in a 1 1/16-mile grass race at Saratoga. Bourbon Therapy was sold to Three Diamonds Farm and sent to Maker after winning a grass sprint at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

“Really Good had a nice debut at Saratoga, and we have high expectations for him,” Maker said. “Bourbon Therapy is most likely a scratch.”

Camp David drew in off the also-eligible list to get in the inaugural $500,000 Gun Runner Stakes for 3-year-olds running a mile. It will be his first start for Three Diamonds Farm and Maker since being purchased for $130,000 at Fasig-Tipton's July sale of horses of racing age.

Camp David makes his turf debut after winning an off-the-turf maiden race at Keeneland last fall. Following a seven-month layoff, the colt won an Indiana allowance race on dirt before fading to fifth in Churchill Downs' Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes.

“He's trained very well for us and we look forward to getting him started,” Maker said.

Maker also got Gogo Shoes off the also-eligible list and into the meet's final stakes, the $400,000 One Dreamer for fillies and mares that have not one a stakes in 2022. Gogo Shoes makes her first start for Maker, who claimed the 5-year-old mare for himself for $75,000 out of her last start at Colonial Downs.

“I like her,” Maker said. “I claimed her at Colonial this summer and she's trained very well. I look forward to running her.”

Though he has set records with pretty much two days left, Maker said it's important to him to try to end with a bang.

“Very important,” he said. “I wish we had more racing dates here at Kentucky Downs. We're trying to get all we can.”

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Jockey Tyler Gaffalione came to Kentucky Downs ready to go to work. He has certainly done that.

Gaffalione, who celebrated his 28th birthday Monday, is poised to win his second Kentucky Downs riding title in three years.

With two days left in the meet, Gaffalione has nine wins from 47 mounts. He is well equipped for more as he is named to ride in all nine races on Tuesday's card (the completion of the Sunday card, which was postponed because of rain) and 11 of the 12 races on Wednesday.

“This meet is always definitely on our radar,” Gaffalione said. “We like to do well everywhere we go. We enjoy Kentucky Downs because it's such a competitive meet and it's so short and you race for such big prize money. Coming out of here with a successful meet means a lot.”

Gaffalione won his first Kentucky Downs meet in 2020 when he got to the winner's circle 11 times. Last September, he was second with eight wins.

“Tyler rides that course very well – he rides very well everywhere,” said Matt Muzikar, Gaffalione's agent. “He really likes that course.”

“I look forward to coming here every year,” Gaffalione said. “But, really, you have to have the horse. It depends on if the horse likes the course or not. That is what contributes to your success at the meet.”

Gaffalione has had more mounts – 47 – than anyone else in the first five days of the meet. Besides leading in wins, he has 10 second-place finishes, more than anyone else riding Kentucky Downs. His horses have earned a meet-high $1,755,391.

He started strong with a three-win opening day and had three more wins on Sept. 8.

“It's very important to get off to a good start at a short meet,” Gaffalone said. “You want to get the momentum going in your favor.”

Among his mounts on Tuesday is the 3-2 Global Tote morning-line favorite Family Way for trainer Brendan Walsh in the G3, $550,000 AGS Ladies Marathon Stakes. Family Way and Gaffalione are looking to win the race for the second straight year. In 2021, they won the 1 5/16 mile race by a neck in a three-horse photo finish.

Family Way and Gaffalione finished third in the G1, $500,000 Beverly D. at Churchill Downs on Aug. 13 behind Dalika, who came back to win the G3, $1 million Kentucky Downs Ladies Sprint last Saturday. Before that, Family Way was second, beaten a half-length in the G1, $750,000 New York Stakes at Belmont Park on June 10.

“She is a very talented filly,” Gaffalone said. “She has been knocking on the door the last two times. She's very consistent and she shows up every time.”

On closing day, Gaffalione will ride Really Good, the 5-2 Global Tote morning-line favorite in the $500,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile for leading trainer Mike Maker; Fuerteventura (9-2) in the $400,000 Pepsi Gun Runner for Jonathan Thomas and Petricor (10-1) in the $400,000 Pepsi One Dreamer for Hall of Famer Bill Mott.

“It's a tough meet because it's such a solid jockey colony,” Muzikar said “You have Joel (Rosario), Irad and Jose (Ortiz). The top riders are all there. It's difficult, but the difficult thing with Kentucky Downs is that there are so many entries in each race. You need things to fall your way.”

Muzikar also said it doesn't hurt that Gaffalione has been riding for trainers like Maker, who has already won a meet-record 11 races, Walsh, Steve Asmussen, Joe Sharp and Wesley Ward.

Winning a riding title is important to any rider and agent, no matter where it is.

“Everyone wants to win at Saratoga, everyone wants to win at Keeneland,” Muzikar said. “We try to do our best at every meet we are at. It so happens that the money is tremendous at Kentucky Downs. It's a win-win if you have a great meet.”

Gerardo Corrales, who is riding the Kentucky Downs meet for the second time (he had five wins in 2020), is in second place with six wins. Rosario, who won 17 races to win the meet last year, has four winners, as does Julien Leparoux and Brian Hernandez Jr.

“It would mean a lot,” Gaffalione said about being the leading rider again. “We go into every meet trying to fight to be leading rider. As long as we win our fair share of the races and continue to pick up some nice, young horses, that is the most important thing.”

The post ‘Such A Competitive Meet’: Tyler Gaffalione Hopes Early Kentucky Downs Success Continues appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Matthew Koch of Shawhan Place has been named the 2022 Ted Bates Farm Manager of the Year by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers Club. Koch is a second generation hardboot following in the footsteps of his father, Gus Koch, who was awarded the Farm Manager of the Year title in 2004. They join B.G. Hughes and Scooter Hughes as the only father/son recipients of this annual prestigious award, bestowed upon a farm manager who has demonstrated quality and success in their management role; service to the community; involvement in the KTFMC; and industry leadership and dedication.

Koch is a graduate of both the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the Kentucky Horseshoeing School. He paid his way through college shoeing horses. After college Koch joined the United States Marine Corps where he served his country in Afghanistan and Kosovo, rising to the rank of Captain. Upon discharge from the Marines in 2004, he established a Thoroughbred operation at his parents' Mt. Carmel Farm, while continuing to work full time as a farrier. In 2006, neighbor Teddy Kuster, KTFMC FMOY 1986, proposed a partnership and the duo formed Shawhan Place.

“I am thrilled to hear Matthew has won this prestigious award,” said Teddy Kuster, co-owner of Shawhan Place. “The club has meant a lot to Matt's entire family and all of us at Shawhan Place. Matt is a wonderful individual who wears many hats. He's a farm manager working in the trenches and has given back to his community by serving on several boards. He serves as State Representative for 72nd District (Bourbon, Nicholas, and Fleming County) and was instrumental in passing HHR for the industry. He and I started Shawhan Place in 2006 with six mares and he has grown it into a successful business that has raised many graded stakes winners including G1 winners Hilda's Passion and Mucho Gusto. The farm now breeds around 100 mares each year. Even more important than raising horses, Matthew raises the next generation of young horsemen and women. He is a mentor to many and regularly hosts interns from both KEMI and the University of Kentucky.”

Longtime client Marette Farrell added, “We are so lucky in this horse business to have access to a man with the credentials of Matt Koch. Firstly, a Marine, now a successful businessman, he is a wonderful father and family man. He will go to the mat to uphold the principles he was raised on, in the mold of his father Gus Koch. But, most significantly, in light of the many recent and future changes in the horse business, he has selflessly stepped into the political arena to represent his constituents and our fragile horse world with integrity and foresight. Without him the HHR would not have passed. I am proud to call him a friend and tell him we are indebted to him for his leadership and boots on the ground approach, which is so needed at this time. The committee chose a very deserving recipient for this year's FMOY award.”

While Koch has been involved in many leadership positions and served on many boards, industry insiders are most familiar with his roles on the KEMI board, CBA, KTA, and of course, the KTFMC where he served as Director, Treasurer, VP, and President in 2009. Koch currently resides in Bourbon County with his wife, Kristen, and their three children, Taylor, Jack, and Nate. The kids are carrying on the family tradition by helping on the farm regularly.

The Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers Club will be hosting its annual Dinner Dance to honor Matthew Koch at The Carrick House in Lexington on December 2, 2022. A silent auction will be held with all proceeds benefitting The Horse Farm Workers' Educational Assistance Fund. Tickets and sponsorships for the event will be available for purchase through the club website at www.ktfmc.org later this month.

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