After winning the leading jockey title at Keeneland for the third time, Gaffalione moved on to Churchill Downs and kept the momentum going. Winning six races from his six mounts on Friday, Gaffalione was voted Jockey of the Week for Nov. 8 through Nov. 14. 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.
Gaffalione's six wins from six mounts put him in the Churchill Downs record book. Not since 1907 has a jockey at Churchill Downs won with all six of their mounts. The streak began with trainer Mike Maker in the first and second races when Gaffalione won with Not That Serious (paying $8.80) and Jazzy Lady ($4.40). In race three he rode for trainer Rodolphe Brisset aboard Cousteau ($4.80). With no mount in the fourth, he continued his streak in the fifth race on Megan's Clara ($4.60) for trainer Joe Sharp and Candy Tycoon ($10.80) in the sixth race for Norm Casse. He finished the day with Sarah Harper ($3.00) for trainer Ron Moquett in the seventh race. His mounts in races eight and nine were scratched.
Speaking to the Churchill Downs publicity department after his historic day, Gaffalione said: “I was joking with the guys in the room that I wanted to ride one more and get the record. It was a really good day at the track.”
Gaffalione extended his win streak into Saturday with a victory in the first race aboard Alberta Sun for trainer Mike Maker. He also won the fourth race with Absolute Love for trainer Joe Sharp and finished the weekend on Sunday on a winning note aboard Fast and Flirty in the ninth race for trainer Brendan Walsh. Gaffalione now sits atop the Churchill standings tied with Mitchell Murrill with 13 wins. He has won every leading rider title at Churchill since 2020 spring.
Gaffalione's stats for the week were 32-10-7-2 and total purses of $592,265.
After the Churchill Downs meet ends on Nov. 28, Gaffalione, the 2015 Eclipse Award Outstanding Apprentice, heads back home to Gulfstream Park to ride their four-month Championship Meet that begins Dec. 3. He rode seven winners there on July 4, 2017.
Other nominees for Jockey of the Week were John R. Davila, Jr. with a 50 percent win rate, Marcelino Pedroza, Jr. who tied with Gaffalione for total number of wins, Joel Rosario who led all jockeys in purse earnings and Andrew Wolfsont who won the Artie Schiller Stakes at Aqueduct on longshot Mandate.
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