Tyler Gaffalione currently has a solid lead in the Gulfstream Park jockeys' race. He's won 64 races, 10 more than Edgard Zayas and 12 more than Emisael Jaramillo, and his mounts have earned $1,660,310. He's making a ton of money and doesn't need to stray far away from home, but he'll never be accused of letting the grass grow, etc., etc.

    Steve Gaffalione's kid spent many of Gulfstream's dark days riding at the recent Saratoga meeting, and yesterday he turned up at the eye-opening boutique meeting at Kentucky Downs. And why is the KD meeting eye-opening? How's this? Yesterday's 10-race program featured four stakes races and $1,977,000 in purse money.

    Tyler rode in seven of the 10 races, including three of the stakes, and wound up the afternoon with another nice bundle to deposit in his Hallandale Beach bank account. Riding for such as Michael Maker, Shug McGaughey and David Fawkes, Tyler won two races, the $150,000 One Dreamer Stakes and a maiden special with a purse of $130,000. He finished third in the $350,000 Exacta Systems Juvenile Fillies which was worth $32,550 and third in the $400,000 Tourist Mile Stakes, worth $38,800. The trip to the bluegrass was certainly well worth the effort.    

    A decade or more ago, when historic racing was being introduced (I think Oaklawn Park was first), the idea was met with a great deal of skepticism. Now, however, like the introduction of racinos, historic racing has become the backbone for certain meetings. Kentucky Downs is a perfect example - of the nearly $2 million the track handed out in purses on Wednesday, $625,620 was generated by historic racing. That's impressive, and a major reason why so many important stables show up to make the two weeks ultra successful.   

 

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