Gaffalione Back from Kentucky for Championship Meet

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione has been adopted by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, where he has won seven titles at Churchill Downs and four meet championships at Keeneland, but the Davie native has come home to South Florida to compete in the 2021-2022 Championship Meet at Gulfstream.

“Most of my family is here. I spent the last three or four days catching up with everyone,” Gaffalione said. “It’s nice seeing the fans come out everyday, seeing what I’ve been seeing for the past eight years. It’s special here.”

The 27-year-old riding star, who rode his first career winner at Gulfstream in 2014 on his way to being honored with an Eclipse Award as North America’s champion apprentice in 2015, has won numerous titles at Gulfstream and Gulfstream Park West but has yet to capture a Championship Meet title.

“My goal is definitely to finish in the Top 3. I’m always competing to be leading rider, but it’s such a competitive meet,” said Gaffalione, who has ridden the winners of 1713 races and more $85 million in purses in his first seven-plus years of competition. “My agent [Matt Muzikar] does a great job and we’ve been fortunate to ride for some top-quality barns. We’re just hoping for the best.”

Gaffalione, who has gotten off to a solid start at the Championship Meet with two wins on Friday’s opening day program and two more Wednesday, will seek his first stakes win of the winter session aboard Mark Breen’s Endorsed in Saturday’s $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3), a seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up that will be the first of 37 graded-stakes on the Gulfstream’s $14.26 million stakes schedule.