Tyler Gaffalione

Sent off the even-money favorite to run his current winning streak to three, Mo Speed Racing's West End Kid (Twirling Candy) sat a stalking trip and had plenty left for the final furlong to easily take out Thursday's GIII Pennine Ridge Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. Drawn widest in a field of nine and exiting a comfortable Churchill allowance victory May 8, the bay colt was asked for a bit of speed by Tyler Gaffalione passing the stands for the first time, but was content to take the sit from...

LAUREL, MD -- Two weeks ago, Saffie Joseph Jr. found himself in an eerily similar situation when one of his horses was forced to scratch from a Grade I event right before the big dance. The latest casualty was My Miss Mo (Uncle Mo) who was scratched on Apr. 29, only two days before the running of the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. No doubt, the 11th-hour defection had to sting a bit, however, the filly came right back to validate her connections' unwavering faith in her, winning...

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. picked up the first Grade I of Kentucky Derby day Saturday as 7-1 shot R Disaster (Awesome Slew) caught a flyer from the gate and took the field gate to wire under Tyler Gaffalione. Never off the board in 15 prior starts, the Florida-bred entered off a third when caught on the lead in the seven-furlong GI Madison Stakes at Keeneland  Apr. 6, her first try at the top level. Clearly a mare who takes her racetrack with her, she's continued to post increasing Beyer Speed...

Mark Dobbin's Imaginationthelady (Not This Time) was pulled out to deliver her challenge entering the final furlong of Friday's $600,000 GII Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs and came with a stinging rally three off the inside to prove best in a four-way photo. Sent off the 12-5 favorite to improve for a narrow defeat at the hooves of the re-opposing Storm's Wake (Oscar Performance) in Keeneland's GII Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland Apr. 4, Imaginationthelady was taken in hand by Tyler Gaffalione and settled three back on the fence as Sanibel...

Spring Classic preparations kicked off bright and early Saturday morning at Keeneland with GI Toyota Blue Grass runner-up Ottinho (Quality Road) working in company for trainer Chad Brown despite being ruled out of the Kentucky Derby. Ottinho had been in consideration for the Derby but DRF's David Grening reported Saturday afternoon on X that Brown believed it was 'unlikely' the colt would go on to the spring marquee. The GI Preakness Stakes at Laurel May 16 or the GIII Peter Pan Stakes remain as targets later on. With his defection,...

OGMA Investments LLC, JR Ranch and High Step Racing LLC's The Puma (Essential Quality) tuned up for a scheduled start in the May 2 GI Kentucky Derby Saturday morning at Gulfstream Park during a maintenance-style half-mile breeze. "It was getting him back into his routine two weeks after a race. It was pretty easy. Maybe the exercise rider got a little too comfortable, but next week is when he'll have his important work," trainer Gustavo Delgado's son and assistant Gustavo Delgado Jr. said. "We're planning to do that Friday or...

Saffie Joseph, Jr. captured his 15th consecutive leading trainer title at Gulfstream Park with the conclusion of the track's Championship Meet Sunday, while Irad Ortiz Jr. finished as leading rider at the meet for a fourth straight time and a record-extending seventh time overall. It was the fifth straight Championship Meet title for Joseph, a 39-year-old native of Barbados whose string of success dates back to Gulfstream's 2021 Royal Palm stand. He had 45 wins and more than $4.7 million in purse earnings during the 72-day stand. "Obviously my name...

Jockey Mario Gutierrez, who went down in a spill in Sunday's ninth race at Gulfstream Park, has reported on X that he was not seriously injured. After being attended to on the course, Gutierrez was transported to the hospital with complaints of a sore hip. "Counting my blessings today," Gutierrez wrote. "Yesterday was rough, but I walked away with no broken bones--just some bruises and a lot of soreness. I can't thank the Gulfstream Park medical staff enough for their professional and kind help. Thank you for everything you do!"...

After his mount fell at the eighth pole in the ninth race at Gulfstream Park Sunday, jockey Mario Gutierrez was taken to Aventura Hospital for further evaluation, the track announced via press release. Aboard Souper Dormy (Into Mischief) for the turf-mile claimer, Gutierrez was thrown from his mount when the gelding went wrong at the eighth pole after taking the lead. Unable to avoid the stricken horse, Lights of Broadway (City of Light) fell over him and threw Tyler Gaffalione to the course. According to the chart notes, the latter...

From an immediate-return standpoint, jockey Flavien Prat's trip to King Abdulaziz Racecourse on Saturday paid off handsomely. Imagination (Into Mischief) took home the $1.2 million winner's share of the purse in the G2 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, and the $3.5 million runner-up money earned by 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' Nysos (Nyquist) was a lucrative consolation prize for crossing the wire second behind dual-continent champ Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the G1 Saudi Cup. But there are tradeoffs to any business decision, and the future cost that the...

Godolphin knows a thing or two about prepping a filly for the Kentucky Oaks through the Fair Grounds meet. Just last year, the then-undefeated Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) rolled through the Rachel Alexandra and the Fair Grounds Oaks en route to the lilies on the first Friday in May. And in 2023, 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief) took the same route, capturing the Rachel Alexandra as well and settling for second in the Fair Grounds Oaks on her way to victory in Kentucky. Flash forward...

Stablemates Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and White Abarrio (Race Day) exited their one-two finish in Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational in good shape and connections are still contemplating next moves for the 7-year-olds, according to trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. "Nothing's signed yet. Just talking it over briefly, something like the GII Oaklawn Handicap comes into play for one of them," Joseph said. "And also the G1 Dubai World Cup. But nothing's really been decided yet. We're going to sleep on it and then decide." The Oaklawn Handicap will be run at...