Tyler Gaffalione | Horse Racing Free Tips

Gaffalione Wins Jockey Title, Cox Leads Trainers As Spring Meet Ends At Churchill Downs

With one day of racing remaining at the 38-day Spring Meet, jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who has quickly risen to one of the country's top riders, secured his fourth-straight title at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. and fifth overall.

Through 37 days of racing, the 26-year-old Florida native recorded 47 wins from 215 starters. He led second-place Ricardo Santana Jr. by 17 wins.

“We've been extremely fortunate to ride some top-class horses this meet,” Gaffalione said. “It's been a wild meet overall but very successful. I'm very grateful to everyone who helped me get to this point.”

Among Gaffalione's most notable wins at the meet were Sconsin in the $150,000 Grade 3 Winning Colors Stakes, Field Day in the $150,000 William Walker Stakes, and Bango in the $110,000 Kelly's Landing Overnight Stakes.

Following Saturday's closing day card, Gaffalione plans to take some time off in Florida before heading to Saratoga for their meet, which opens July 15.

In the Spring Meet leading trainer race, three-time local champion Brad Cox held a 19-to-17 win advantage over record 24-time winner Steve Asmussen, seven-time leader Mike Maker, and Brendan Walsh. Cox had entries in Races 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, and 12. Asmussen is the only trainer that could pass Cox with horses entered in Races 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, and 12. Maker and Walsh can only tie Cox with two horses entered. Maker had entrants in Races 10 and 11 while Walsh had horses in Races 4 and 11.

In the leading owner race, Kirk Wycoff's Three Diamonds Farm secured at least a share of the title with six wins. He had horses entered in Races 10 and 11. He held a one-win lead over Juddmonte, who had one entrant in Race 10. Calumet Farm, who was two wins behind, had two horses entered in Races 1 and 7. Godolphin recorded three wins with one day remaining of the meet and had horses entered in Races 5, 11, and 12.

Racing in Kentucky will switch to Ellis Park starting Sunday. Live racing beneath the Twin Spires returns Thursday, Sept. 16.

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Bango Just Holds On In Kelly’s Landing; Art Collector Finishes Sixth

Tamaroak Partners LLC's 4-year-old homebred colt Bango tracked pacesetter Strike Power, took the lead from that rival at the top of the stretch and then held off a determined late run from Mucho to win Friday's 11th running of the $107,025 Kelly's Landing Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs by a nose. Last year's Blue Grass (G2) winner Art Collector, the 6-5 favorite who made his first start of the year, finished a non-threatening sixth.

Trained by Greg Foley and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Bango ran seven furlongs over a fast track in 1:21.25 to collect his second stakes win of the meet. Previously, he held off fellow Kelly's Landing rival Long Range Toddy to win the $150,000 Aristides (Listed) by a half-length on May 29.

Friday's triumph was worth $65,640 and boosted Bango's bankroll to $459,197 with a record of 18-7-1-1. Six of his victories have come in nine starts at Churchill Downs.

“This is why we get up early in the morning and do our job,” Foley said. “It makes it all worth it when horses like this run as well as they do. Bango loves Churchill Downs. He's a neat little horse and Tyler gave him a great ride.”

Strike Power led the field of nine older horses through early splits of :22.63 and :45.32 with Bango rating comfortably in third from the outside. Around the turn, Bango ranged into contention and grabbed a slight lead from the early leader with a furlong to run. The winner put away Strike Power at the sixteenth pole but a fierce late run by Mucho triggered a photo finish at the wire.

“There was a little bit of speed to our inside so I just let him get settled down the backside,” Gaffalione said. “We got into a great position and I wanted to make sure I got the jump on the closers. He held on well and ran a big race.”

Bango is a son of Congrats out of the Smart Strike mare Josaka and was bred in Kentucky by her owners Fred and Debbie Schwartz who campaign under the nom de course Tamaroak.

Bango returned $15, $7.40 and $4.60 as the 6-1 fourth betting choice. Mucho, at odds of 19-1 under Gabriel Saez, returned $14.60 and $7.20 and finished two lengths in front of Strike Power who paid $3.60 to show under Ricardo Santana Jr. as the 4-1 third choice.

Aloha West, the 3-1 second betting choice, was fourth and was followed by Home Base, Art Collector, Bourbon Calling, Long Range Toddy and Relentless Dancer.

The Kelly's Landing honors the Summerplace Farm runner who earned $1,853,831 from a record of 10-3-2 in 27 starts for trainer Eddie Kenneally between 2004-09. The gelding won the six-furlong Aristides Handicap (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs in 2005 by stopping the teletimer in a track record 1:07.55 (since eclipsed). His biggest victory came in the 2007 Dubai Golden Saheen at Nad Al Sheba in the United Arab Emirates. Kelly's Landing also won the 2006 Phoenix (G3) at Keeneland and 2007 Mr. Prospector Handicap (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

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Grade 1 Winner Juliet Foxtrot Headlines Mint Julep, Saturday’s Downs After Dark Feature

Juddmonte's Grade 1-winning homebred Juliet Foxtrot (GB) leads a field of 11 fillies and mares that were entered in Saturday night's $150,000 Old Forester Mint Julep (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs.

The 1 1/16-mile Old Forester Mint Julep, run over the Matt Winn Turf Course, is carded as Race 9 with a post time of 10:11 p.m. (all times Eastern). The 11-race Downs After Dark program gets underway at 6 p.m.

Juliet Foxtrot, trained by Brad Cox, cruised to a two-length victory in the April 10 Jenny Wiley (G1) at Keeneland. The daughter of Dansili (GB) was transferred to the care of Cox in 2019 from European-based conditioner Charles Hills. Since arriving stateside, Juliet Foxtrot has run some of her best races including victories in the 2019 Modesty (G3) and the 2020 Gallorette (G3).

The six-time winner will be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione from post No. 2.

Other top horses that entered the Mint Julep are Robert and Lawana Low's four-time stakes heroine She'sonthewarpath and Stonestreet Stables' $150,000 Indiana Grand Stakes winner Hendy Woods.

The complete field for the Old Forester Mint Julep from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

Mintd (IRE) (Ricardo Santana Jr., Brendan Walsh)
Juliet Foxtrot (GB) (Gaffalione, Cox)
Hendy Woods (Florent Geroux, Mark Casse)
Vezpa (BRZ) (Joe Talamo, Paulo Lobo)
Lashara (GB) (Julien Leparoux, Mark Casse)
Dominga (Shaun Bridgmohan, Cox)
Flash n' Dance (Marcelino Pedroza, Marcus O'Donnell)
Tuned (GB) (David Cohen, Graham Motion)
Crystal Ball (James Graham, Rodolphe Brisset)
Sister Hanan (Corey Lanerie, Ben Colebrook)
She'sonthewarpath (Adam Beschizza, Steve Margolis)

Wagering is available online at www.TwinSpires.com, the official ADW of Churchill Downs Incorporated.

Saturday is Downs After Dark – Rock the Downs presented by Budweiser. The evening of entertainment features live racing, music from Rock United on the Plaza Stage, themed cocktail specials, LED jugglers and stilt walkers from CirqueLouis and music performances from the Pagoda. Guests are encouraged to break out their best rocker wear including vintage band shirts, leather jackets, denim, plaid or even glam.

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Tyler Gaffalione’s 10 Victories Earn Jockey Of The Week Title

With 10 wins including a Grade 3 stakes, Tyler Gaffalione was voted Jockey of the Week for May 17 through May 23. 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.

Riding at Churchill Downs, Gaffalione began the race week on Thursday with two victories, then two three-win days Friday and Saturday including the Grade 3 Winning Colors, culminating with two wins on Sunday. His 10 wins were for eight different trainers.

Trainer Greg Foley tapped Gaffalione to ride Sconsin for the first time in the Grade 3 Winning Colors for fillies and mares four-years-old and up going six furlongs on the main track. Sconsin broke from the rail in the field of five and comfortably tracked the leading trio of Rising Seas, Frank's Rockette and Tipsy Gal after a quarter mile. Gaffalione guided Sconsin to the outside on the turn and blew past those foes to draw off and win by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:08.80.

“Everything set up like we thought it would,” Gaffalione said. “The speed went on and set quick fractions. We were able to sit back and bide our time. When I put her out at the top of the lane she finished the job.”

The Winning Colors was Gaffalione's seventh graded stakes victory of the year.

Gaffalione, the 2015 Eclipse Award winner as Outstanding Apprentice Jockey, currently sits atop the jockey standings at Churchill Downs with 23 wins through May 23. His weekly statistics were 26-10-3-5 for a win rate of 38.4 percent and an in-the-money percentage of 69.2. He led all jockeys in purse earnings with $577,310.

Gaffalione out-polled Alex Birzer who recorded nine wins, Jose L. Ortiz with $306,378 in purse earnings, Jose Andres Guerrero with eight wins for the week and Mike Smith who won the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes.

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