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‘We’ve All Got To Do Our Part’: Gaffalione Returns From Quarantine With Four-Win Day

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione bagged four winners Wednesday at Gulfstream Park in Hallendale Beach, Fla., making it a pretty good first day back after sitting out last weekend's races after testing positive for Covid-19.

“My valet tested positive early last week,” Gaffalione said. “Instead of putting anyone at risk, I went ahead and took a test at home and sat out the necessary days. Unfortunately I missed out on a few winners, but we've all got to do our part.”

The Davie, Fla. native and 2015 Eclipse Award winner as champion apprentice, who said he experienced only mild symptoms, captured Wednesday's opener on Slam Dunk Racing's Banker's Hours ($5.60), a mount he picked up from Irad Ortiz Jr., who has been out with a right knee injury.

Represented by agent Matt Muzikar, Gaffalione won Race 4 with Robert Cummings and Donna Cummings' 4-year-old filly Jazzy T ($8), and followed up in Race 8 aboard Pocket Aces Racing's 4-year-old gelding Critical Threat ($8.60) and Race 9 with Patricia's Hope LLC's Chacalosa ($6.20).

“My agent does a great job. He always puts me on live horses, I've just got to come out here and get it done,” Gaffalione said. “They're running well today and I'm enjoying myself. I'm glad to get back to work.”

Gaffalione had not ridden since finishing third with Philzano in the 10th race finale Jan. 6. He ranks third in the Championship Meet standings with 27 wins, trailing Luis Saez (49) and Paco Lopez (30).

“It feels great. I was starting to run circles in my house with just not much to do,” Gaffalione said. “I'm really happy to be back.”

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Two In A Row: Red-Hot Flavien Prat Again Voted Jockey Of The Week

For the second week in a row, Flavien Prat earned the title of Jockey of the Week with 10 wins including two graded stakes victories. The honor, 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 1050 active, retired and permanently disabled jockeys in the United States.

It is almost becoming the norm that has Flavien Prat winning races in double digits for the week. He began the racing week at Santa Anita on Friday, winning claiming races for trainers Jeff Mullins and Richard Mandella, plus an Allowance Optional Claiming race for Michael McCarthy.

On Saturday with mounts in six races, Prat won the third race, a claiming contest, for trainer Phil D'Amato. Trainer Bob Baffert then gave a leg up to Prat on Under the Stars in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez for 3-year-old fillies. Off as the favorite in the field of six and breaking from the rail, Under the Stars took pressure from her rivals but started to take control on the far turn to post an impressive 3/4-length win for the seven furlongs in 1:22.51.

“I thought it was a good run,” Prat said. “There was pressure all the way around. The one hole was not the best place, but she overcame that.”

Prat also won the last race on the card, a Maiden Special Weight for trainer Simon Callaghan.

On Sunday's nine race card, Prat won Maiden Special Weight races one and three for trainer Phil D'Amato.

He was next aboard Zero Tolerance for trainer Ruben Alvarado in the G3 Las Cienegas for fillies and mares 4-years-old and up. Breaking from the far outside in the field of seven, Zero Tolerance followed the favorite Hear My Prayer. Gaining the advantage at the top of the stretch, Zero Tolerance held off a late challenge from Tapwater and Joe Bravo to win by a head in 1:13.26 for 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill turf course.

“She can be a little on her toes sometimes, but she was relaxing well today and when it was time to make a move, she responded well,” said Prat who was riding the 4-year-old for the fourth time.

With the win, Prat collected his sixth stakes of the young meet. Prat followed the stakes win with a victory in the 8th race, a Starter Allowance, for trainer Leonard Powell.

Prat's weekly statistics were 17-10-2-0 for total purse earnings of $470,320. Prat was leading jockey for the week in total and stakes purse earnings. He is currently the leading rider at Santa Anita with 21 wins.

Prat outpolled jockeys Kendrick Carmouche who also won 10 races for the week, Javier Castellano who won a stakes race at Aqueduct, Dylan Davis also with a stakes win at Aqueduct and Alfredo Juarez, Jr. who won a stakes race at Sunland Park.

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Report: Knee Fracture Could Force Irad Ortiz Jr. To Miss Pegasus World Cup

Three-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. could be out three to four weeks as a result of a knee injury suffered in a starting gate incident on Jan. 7 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee reported.

Ortiz suffered a small fracture to his knee, the jockey's agent, Steve Rushing, told McGee on Tuesday.

Ortiz injured the knee on Jan. 7 when his mount, Shea On a Mission, was fractious in the starting gate prior to the eighth race at Gulfstream Park. Shea On a Mission, a 4-year-old Mission Impazible filly with four previous starts, was scratched from the race.

Ortiz took off his two remaining mounts on the Jan. 7 program but thought he would be able to ride the Jan. 8-9 programs at Gulfstream. He scratched from those mounts the next morning after the pain did not subside, but expected to be back riding on Jan. 12. Those hopes were dashed when the fracture was discovered.

If he is sidelined three weeks, the injury could be a costly one for Ortiz, who was expected to be named to ride Life Is Good in the $3 million, Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational and defending champion Colonel Liam in the $1 million, G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf – both on Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park. Ortiz rode Life Is Good to victory in his last start in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and was aboard Colonel Liam in the 2021 Pegasus Turf.

Winner of the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey in 2018, '19 and '20, Ortiz was the runaway leader in the jockey standings at the 2020-'21 championship meet at Gulfstream Park. He finished second behind Joel Rosario in North American earnings in 2021, with $29,274,435.

The gate incident came one day after Ortiz returned from a 30-day suspension for careless riding at Aqueduct.

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Lisa Lazarus Named Chief Executive Officer Of Horseracing Integrity And Safety Authority

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) Board of Directors announced Tuesday that Lisa Lazarus will serve as Chief Executive Officer of the Authority starting Feb. 15, 2022. The board reached this decision after engaging Russell Reynolds to undertake a nationwide search for a permanent Chief Executive Officer. Under Lazarus' leadership, HISA will implement the racetrack safety program on July 1, 2022, engage a best-in-class independent enforcement agency to oversee the Authority's Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) program, and work with stakeholders across the U.S. to evaluate and improve both programs on an ongoing basis.

“We are thrilled to have Lisa on board as we approach HISA's program effective date in six short months” said Charles Scheeler, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “Her deep background in sports business and law will be on full display as she leads the racing industry into a new, safer era of clean competition under uniform rules and regulations.”

“I look forward to working with the impressive and diverse array of independent and industry experts at HISA to make racing safer and fairer for all. As someone who has worked with the industry over the course of my career, and as a horse lover, I'm honored to be taking on this role,” said Lazarus.

Lazarus established and leads the Equestrian Practice at Morgan Sports Law, where she provides counsel on health and safety issues and rule compliance in addition to representing athletes, owners and trainers in disputes before national and international governing bodies. Prior to joining Morgan Sports Law, she served as General Counsel and later Chief of Business Development & Strategy at the Fédération Equestre Internationale, the international governing body for equestrian sports. Prior to her focus on the equine sporting industry, Lazarus spent a decade at the National Football League where she served as the league's Labor Relations Counsel, representing the NFL's 32-member clubs in collective bargaining issues and in contested arbitrations, including anti-doping enforcement matters. She then became Senior Legal Counsel before taking the role of Senior Director of Partner Development for NFL International at their headquarters in London, England. Lazarus began her legal career working as an associate at Akin Gump for four years after graduating from Fordham University School of Law and clerking for a Federal District Court Judge in Memphis, Tenn.

Under the leadership of Interim Chief Executive Officer Hank Zeitlin, the Authority's advisory committees drafted proposed rules and regulations and sought industry feedback through an extensive stakeholder engagement process, resulting in the successful submission of the Racetrack Safety Program to the Federal Trade Commission on Dec. 6. The ADMC Committee worked with USADA to release six documents for public input, including the proposed Equine Protocol, Prohibited List, Definitions, Equine Arbitration Procedures, Testing and Investigation Standards, and Standards for Laboratories and Accreditation.

“The significant progress achieved in just a short period of time is a testament to Hank's professionalism and intimate knowledge of the racing industry. He convened a small yet highly capable staff to undertake this enormous effort with the advisory committees, and the work products speak for themselves,” said Scheeler. “The Board of Directors deeply appreciate Hank's leadership and service to the racing community.”

“Being a part of the process to improve and modernize the sport has been a privilege,” said Zeitlin. “I look forward to working with Lisa in the coming months as my time at HISA comes to a close. There is no doubt in my mind that the Authority is in good hands as it continues its mission to protect the athletes, both equine and human, and the integrity of the sport.”

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