Seeking 11th title, Gaffalione has 3 live shots in Churchill stakes
Louisville, Ky.
There is nothing new about Tyler Gaffalione holding the lead in the jockeys standings at Churchill Downs. If he finishes with the most wins from the fall season that ends Sunday, it will be his 11th riding title in the last 16 meets at the home office of racing.
Happy Thanksgiving, indeed.
“I just feel so blessed,” Gaffalione said Wednesday outside the jockeys’ temporary quarters near the first turn. “Everyone here in Kentucky has been so welcoming and supportive of me. They really made me feel at home here. Really, there’s just nowhere I’d rather be right now.”
As Churchill Downs’ last meet of 2023 reaches its climax, Gaffalione has three live chances, all sired by Gun Runner, to perhaps clinch the title by way of the most prominent Grade 2 stakes of the meet. He is booked on Il Miracolo (4-1) in Friday’s $600,000 Clark, Intricate (6-1) in Saturday’s $400,000 Golden Rod for Kentucky Oaks (G1) hopefuls and morning-line favorite Risk It (5-2) in Saturday’s Kentucky Jockey Club, a points prep for Kentucky Derby 2024.
| Jockeys: CD fall meet | Starts | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Purse $ | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Tyler Gaffalione | 115 | 20 | 16 | 17 | $1,871,337 | 17% |
| 2. Luis Sáez | 97 | 17 | 12 | 6 | $1,564,502 | 18% |
| 3. Florent Géroux | 47 | 11 | 9 | 6 | $1,130,100 | 23% |
| Édgar Morales | 76 | 11 | 9 | 14 | $816,026 | 14% |
| 5. Gerardo Corrales | 36 | 10 | 6 | 3 | $705,866 | 28% |
| 6. Julien Leparoux | 36 | 8 | 6 | 2 | $863,067 | 22% |
| 7. Cristian Torres | 51 | 7 | 7 | 8 | $793,388 | 14% |
| Ricardo Santana Jr. | 61 | 7 | 9 | 7 | $766,448 | 11% |
| Martín García | 49 | 7 | 4 | 7 | $637,698 | 14% |
| Rafael Bejarano | 49 | 7 | 7 | 4 | $590,066 | 14% |
| 11. Keith Asmussen | 36 | 5 | 8 | 4 | $429,097 | 14% |
| Adam Beschizza | 36 | 5 | 5 | 2 | $330,593 | 14% |
| 13. Brian Hernandez Jr. | 59 | 4 | 10 | 9 | $690,987 | 7% |
| Francisco Arrieta | 75 | 4 | 11 | 12 | $589,188 | 5% |
| John Velázquez | 12 | 4 | 2 | 1 | $461,367 | 33% |
| Martín Chuan | 18 | 4 | 1 | 3 | $360,411 | 22% |
| Declan Cannon | 42 | 4 | 5 | 6 | $351,433 | 10% |
| 18. James Graham | 27 | 3 | 3 | 4 | $347,890 | 11% |
| Chris Landeros | 11 | 3 | 1 | 2 | $322,038 | 27% |
| Colby Hernandez | 23 | 3 | 3 | 1 | $274,432 | 13% |
| Joe Rocco Jr. | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | $168,195 | 30% |
| Source: Equibase |
Risk It was a beaten favorite last out when he lost to West Saratoga by 1 3/4 lengths Sept. 16 in the one-mile Iroquois (G3). But Gaffalione’s ever-friendly voice brightened some more when that race was brought up to him this week.
“I loved his effort that day. I thought it was tremendous,” Gaffalione said in an interview for Horse Racing Nation’s Ron Flatter Racing Pod. “We accomplished everything we wanted to besides winning, of course, but he got a great experience. We learned that he doesn’t need the lead. He settled great. He handled horses being inside, outside, so it was all-around a great experience for him. The horse (Liberal Arts) that we just beat for second that day came back to win his next start, so it definitely makes the race look a little better.”
A $500,000 colt owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm and trained by Steve Asmussen, Risk It is a maiden winner who will be tackling two turns for the first time in Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile race. Gaffalione was confident that would be no problem.
“He’s a big, strong horse,” he said. “Steve has given him a lot of time, and Steve wouldn’t throw him anything he didn’t think he can handle.”
Gaffalione is Risk It’s regular rider as is the case with Intricate, who followed her fifth-place debut at six furlongs with an impressive, closing kick to win a 1 1/16-mile allowance race Oct. 13 at Keeneland. She will be going the same distance in the Golden Rod, which Gaffalione thinks will be right in her wheelhouse.
“She always showed that she wanted more distance,” he said. “We just needed to get a race into her. It worked out perfect. She got away a little bit slow that day. We were able to save ground, take dirt, and it was a great experience for her. It really showed last time how she was so professional. It was a tremendous race from her.”
The $280,000 filly owned by Bradley Thoroughbreds, Laura Leigh Stable, Scott Estes and Cambron Equine is trained by Brendan Walsh. Gaffalione said their strategy for the Golden Rod, in which Thorpedo Anna (8-5) and West Sunset (2-1) bring 2-for-2 records, will be one of reading and reacting with Intricate.
“She’s one of those free-running fillies, so I’ll let her place herself,” Gaffalione said. “Ideally, I’d like to be three or four (lengths) off the pace with a nice target in front of us.”
Before the 2-year-olds get the Saturday spotlight, Gaffalione will be in the Clark on Friday, racing for the first time on durable Il Miracolo. The 3-year-old colt’s biggest win in his 15 races came Aug. 22 in the Smarty Jones (G3) at Parx Racing.
Owned by Alexandres and trained by Antonio Sano, Il Miracolo got his first shot against older horses last month at Keeneland in his 10th start of the year. He finished a close second in the Fayette (G2) to O’Connor, who was ridden that day by Gaffalione.
Luis Sáez, who rode Il Miracolo in the Fayette, will take his regular call on lightly raced 3-year-old First Mission (3-1), the morning-line favorite and Lexington (G3) victor who brings a three-race winning streak for trainer Brad Cox into the Clark.
Gaffalione will be the third different rider in as many races for Il Miracolo, who finished in the money in his last four starts.
“I’ve been able to run against him and watch his replays to get a good idea,” Gaffalione said. “It just seems like he’s maturing. He’s coming into his own. It always looked like he had ability but just hadn’t really matured mentally. Now it seems like he’s starting to get it all together, and he seems like he’s turned the corner his last four or five races.”
With 10 horses drawn into the 1 1/8-mile Clark, Il Miracolo will start from post 3, right next to First Mission in post 2. Both colts are stalkers, so Gaffalione hopes to give Sáez some company.
“I’d like to keep an eye on him,” Gaffalione said. “It seems like he might be a little quicker than me, but as long as we can keep within range, I think that would be ideal.”
With 20 victories from 115 rides this fall at Churchill Downs, Gaffalione has run his career win total across the continent to 2,243. According to Equibase, that ranks 20th among active jockeys and 40th all-time in the U.S. and Canada. This year he and Walsh teamed to take the Kentucky Oaks (G1) with Pretty Mischievous, a three-time Grade 1 winner who is likely to be crowned the champion 3-year-old filly of 2023. Gaffalione also had Grade 1 wins this year with Gunite, Caravel and Gina Romantica.
To think this native of Davie, Fla., will not turn 30 until next September.
“We’ve been very fortunate,” Gaffalione said. “We get a tremendous amount of support from the horsemen around here. I get some incredible opportunities to ride some extremely talented horses. My agent (Matt Muzikar) does a great job. We’re just having a really good time right now.”