Tyler Gaffalione | Horse Racing Free Tips

Family Way Finds Winner’s Circle In Ladies Marathon At Kentucky Downs

Family Way and Tyler Gaffalione stalked the pace throughout the 1 5/16-mile Ladies Marathon at Kentucky Downs, went wide on the final turn, and then split horses in the stretch to take the last stakes race at the Franklin, Ky., track's 2021 meet. La Lune was second and Big Blue Nation third.

Breaking from post seven, Family Way was away fastest, giving way to Stand Tall early and settling in behind horses. Stand Tall held the lead on the backside, with Blame Debbie in second and Big Blue Nation third. Going down the hill, Blame Debbie took over, with Stand Tall shuffling back to third, just ahead of Family Way.

Blame Debbie held her lead around the race's final turn into the stretch, but soon gave way to Big Blue Nation as Family Way split horses at the top of the stretch to find running room on the outside of Blame Debbie. Big Blue Nation tried to hold off a surging Family Way, but the filly caught her at race's end, hitting the wire a neck in front with La Lune surging past Big Blue Nation to take second. Favorite Luck Money was fourth.

The final time for the 1 5/16 miles was 2:07.83. Find this race's chart here.

Family Way paid $13.20, $6.80, and $4.80. La Lune paid $8.60 and $5.40. Big Blue Nation paid $3.60.

Bred in Kentucky by Diamond Creek Farm, Family Way is a 4-year-old filly by Uncle Mo out of the Giant's Causeway mare Susie's Baby. She is owned by Hunter Valley Farm, Debra O'Connor, and Marc Detampel, and trained by Brendan Walsh. Consigned by Godolphin, she was sold to Fergus Galvin, agent, for $181,818 at the 2020 Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale. With her win in the Ladies Marathon, Family Way has two wins in five starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of four wins in 11 starts for career earnings of $441,543.

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Amoss To Saddle Kevin’s Folly In Hopeful At Saratoga

Trainer Tom Amoss will saddle Michael McLoughlin's Kevin's Folly in Monday's $300,000 Grade 1 Hopeful.

The Distorted Humor colt, an $80,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, registered a 69 Beyer in his winning debut sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs on July 31 at Saratoga.

With Tyler Gaffalione up, Kevin's Folly was in fifth position at the half-mile call before cutting the corner and powering home to a 1 1/2-length score in a field of six.

Amoss said the horse was training too well to wait on a two-turn race later in the fall.

“I know I'm asking a lot of him, but the timing is so poor to save him for the middle of the month for Churchill going two turns off that one race,” Amoss said. “We always thought he was talented. What I liked about him on debut is that he rated, he took dirt and he came through on the inside through a very small opening, so he was very professional. He galloped out well. I saw a lot to like about him off his debut.”

Amoss said he is hopeful that Kevin's Folly will be able to work out a trip when exiting post 9 under Jose Lezcano in a race led by graded-stakes winners Wit and High Oak.

“He's shown he'll rate and sit behind horses, so both those things are plusses, but I have nothing but the ultimate respect for Wit and High Oak. This is a very good race,” Amoss said.

Joel Politi's Li'l Tootsie closed to finish third in Saturday's Grade 2 Prioress, a six-furlong sprint for sophomore fillies at the Spa.

Amoss said he was pleased to see the Tapiture bay, a three-time winner in nine starts, pick up graded black type.

“That's what we were hoping for. She ran well,” Amoss said.

Maggi Moss and Greg Tramontin's graded-stakes winner No Parole posted a bullet half-mile in :47.21 Saturday on the Saratoga main track.

The 4-year-old Louisiana-bred son of Violence won the Grade 1 Woody Stephens last year at Belmont Park. He has made three starts this season, including a win in the LA Bred Premier Sprint in February at Delta Downs.

Amoss said No Parole, who finished seventh last out in the Grade 3 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap in April at Oaklawn, is working his way back to race fitness having breezed four times at Saratoga.

“He's coming back off a layoff. He should be ready by the end of the month to find a race. I'd like to get him back into form and make him a stallion in Louisiana,” Amoss said.

Out of the stakes-winning Bluegrass Cat mare Plus One, No Parole was purchased for $75,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. His third dam, Star Deputy, produced multiple graded stakes winning millionaire License Fee.

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Cilla Rallies In Saratoga Stretch To Win Prioress

After a stretch duel with Souper Sensational that saw the two brushing not once but twice, Cilla, last-out winner of the Blue Sparkler at Monmouth Park, rallied late to win by a half-length at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Under Tyler Gaffalione, Cilla broke sharp and then settled into fourth behind Oxana and Edie Meeny Miny Mo, who traded the lead early in the six-furlong Prioress. Victor Espinoza, in from California to ride Edie Meeny Miny Mo for a second time, took over entering the far turn, but could not hold on to the advantage entering the stretch. To her outside, both Cilla and Souper Sensational took up position for their stretch runs, with Ricardo Santana, Jr. poised to send Souper Sensational on as they hit the Saratoga straight.

Gaffalione and Cilla stayed with her, the two fillies dueling in the race's final furlong. As they approached the wire, Cilla rallied past Souper Sensational in the race's final yards to a half-length lead at the finish. Li'l Tootsie was third.

Ricardo Santana, Jr. claimed foul after the race, citing interference by Cilla and Gaffalione in the stretch, but the stewards dismissed the foul, allowing the final results to become official.

The final time for the six furlongs was 1:10.05 over a fast track. Find this race's chart here.

Cilla paid $23.40, $6.20, and $3.40. Souper Sensational paid $2.50 and $2.10. Li'l Tootsie paid $3.50.

“She's fast and she's a 3-year-old. There's limited opportunities for those fillies. We felt like after we got her on track a couple of races ago and that we were going to let her step along and buy her way to the next one. She's obviously bought her way to this one.” Brett Brinkman said after the Prioress.

“As soon as Ricardo [Santana, Jr., aboard Souper Sensational] put a head in front of me, I asked her and she surged back to them, so I was confident that we were going to be able to come back to them. I was confident that we were able to get back,” Gaffalione told the NYRA Press Office after the race. “She fought gamely and all the credit goes to the connections for having her ready.”

Bred in Louisiana by Brett A. Brinkman and P. Dale Ladner, the 3-year-old filly is by California Chrome out of the Into Mischief mare Sittin At the Bar, a black-type stakes winner in Louisiana. Owned by P. Dale Ladner, Cilla is trained by Charlton Baker. The Grade 2 Prioress is the filly's fourth win in six starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of five wins in ten starts.

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Sharp Points Fast Boat To Kentucky Downs, Breeders’ Cup

Three years ago when trainer Joe Sharp came to Saratoga, he finished the meet with eight winners from 29 starters, which was his best performance since bringing horses to the Spa in 2015. Heading into Sunday's card, Sharp is not that far from reaching that mark, boasting a record of 22-6-0-1 with purse earnings of $329,361.

“It has been a great meet,” he said. “Obviously, we had some good racing luck with the right kind of horses. We have been fortunate to get some good racing luck and getting everything lined up.”

Two of his winners were for owner Brad Grady led by Grade 3 Troy-winner Fast Boat and maiden-winner Flint Ridge.

Fast Boat, a 6-year-old gelding, came off the pace with jockey Tyler Gaffalione to catch longshot Carotari near the finish to win his second graded stakes race in the Troy at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Sharp said the firm Saratoga course benefitted Fast Boat, who couldn't make as powerful of a run when he finished sixth in the Grade 1 Jackpocket Jaipur at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., over a good turf course.

“Tyler rode him great,” Sharp said. “The biggest thing that seems to help him is the firm turf course. It was very firm that day. His turn-of-foot is much more significant. If you look at the Jaipur, we got so much rain the night before. Johnny [Velazquez] said he was closing into it, but he didn't have that explosiveness when he couldn't get hold of the ground.”

Sharp said Fast Boat is currently back at his farm in Kentucky before going back into training for a stakes race at Kentucky Downs, then onward to the Breeders' Cup.

“He doing great,” he said. “He came home a couple of days after that race. We do that after all of his races. We turn him out for about a week to 10 days. He likes it with the small paddock.”

Flint Ridge, a 3-year-old son of Into Mischief purchased for $320,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, rebounded from a disappointing debut at Churchill Downs with a two-length maiden win after engaging in a pace battle while wearing blinkers for the first time on August 14.

Dylan Davis engineered the winning trip in the 6 1/2-furlong main-track event for 3-year-olds and up.

“We were high on him for the first time out,” Sharp said “He had been training well at Keeneland and shipped over the Churchill Downs on the day of the race. I think it took him by surprise a little bit. The gates opened and he got out-footed. We were very disappointed.

“When he got up here, his works were on point,” he added. “I was really impressed with that race. That was a tough trip. I was happy to see Dylan get him in the race with the blinkers. To take pressure from both sides and still be able to fight on at the end, that was definitely impressive.”

Sharp indicated that he plans to bring Flint Ridge back to Kentucky for the fall.

Another maiden winner from Sharp's barn was Lady Danae, who came off the pace over the turf course to win her first start by two lengths with Luis Saez aboard on August 13. While Sharp trained her mostly on the dirt, Saez believed the 2-year-old was a possible turf horse.

“At Keeneland, she was working really fast on the dirt,” Sharp said. “When we got up here, the track was a lot deeper. Luis Saez had worked her a couple of times in the morning and he said it twice, 'I really like her, but I think she's turf.' That was as impressive as it was with a first-outer that I've had from a horse.”

Just like with Fast Boat, Sharp indicated that Lady Danae is also being pointed for a stakes race at Kentucky Downs. He also added that Classic Lynne will pass on Friday's Seeking The Ante for another maiden race.

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