Gulfstream Today 12.5.19: Gaffalione Happy to be Back Riding at Home Track

By David Joseph —-

GULFSTREAM TODAY 12.5.19

Gaffalione Happy to be Back Riding at Home Track

Link: Stronach 5 All Star Ticket

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Jockey Tyler Gaffalione registered his first win of the 2019-2020 Championship Meet aboard 1-2 favorite Durlyn in Thursday’s seventh race at Gulfstream Park.

After spending the past several months riding primarily in Kentucky with a summer sojourn to Saratoga, the 25-year-old native of nearby Davie, Fla. is happy to be home for the winter.

“It’s really nice to be back home. It’s been a great summer and fall but it’s nice to come home and see my family and enjoy the nice weather,” Gaffalione said. “It’s been pretty cold in Kentucky so I’m definitely enjoying all this. I’m just looking forward to the meet and riding some nice horses, hopefully.”

Represented by Matt Muzikar, Gaffalione tied for second at both the Keeneland spring and fall meets, each with 14 wins; amassed 24 wins and $1.5 million in purse earnings at Churchill Downs’ fall stand; and had 12 victories – two in graded-stakes – and nearly $1.3 million in purses earned in his first full summer at Saratoga.

Of his 14 graded-stakes wins this year, 10 have come since the 2018-19 Championship Meet ended topped by his first Triple Crown race victory with War of Will in the Preakness Stakes (G1) May 18 at Pimlico Race Course. Most recently, he won the Dec. 1 Matriarch (G1) at Del Mar with Get Stormy.

“I’m just very blessed, very fortunate. I have a great agent and he finds me good horses to ride. I’ve been able to ride for some good connections, the owners, trainers and some really nice horses. Hopefully we can just keep building on everything and we’re looking forward to a good winter.”

Gaffalione was fourth in wins (70) and sixth in purses ($3.2 million) at last winter’s Championship Meet, after ranking third in wins in both 2017-18 (87) and 2016-17 (62), with respective earnings of $4.039 million and $2.28 million.

“For this meet you always want to start looking ahead to the Triple Crown, so we’re looking for a nice 3-year-old for next year,” Gaffalione said. “The goal is always to be leading rider, but if we could crack the top three that’s a great accomplishment.”

Link: Stronach 5 All Star Ticket

Friday’s Stronach 5 will offer a $100,000 pool guarantee and an industry-low 12 percent takeout while featuring races at Laurel Park, Gulfstream Park and Golden Gate Fields.

The Stronach 5 will kick off with Gulfstream’s Race 8 (4 p.m. EST), followed by Race 9 at Laurel (4:19 p.m.), Race 9 at Gulfstream (4:30 p.m.), Race 3 at Golden Gate (4:45 p.m.) and Race 10 at Gulfstream (5 p.m.).

All Star Video Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZLzw3NqL8I&feature=youtu.be

The minimum bet for the Stronach 5 is $1 through Laurel Park’s mutuel pool. If there are no tickets with five winners, the entire pool will be carried over to the next Friday.

Who’s Hot: Jockey Paco Lopez continued his hot start to the Championship Meet with back-to-back winners, Frank’s Legacy ($9.20) in Race 3 and Blue Chip Prospect ($4) in Race 4. Jockey Luis Saez also won two with Burly Boy ($5) in the second and Interest ($3) in the 10th.

Rainbow 6 Carryover: $119,463.91

Gulfstream Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; XpressBet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry. For more information contact David Joseph at david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com or call 954.457.6451.