Tyler Gaffalione

   In this new series, the TDN takes a look at the success of European-based sires in North America, on a semi-weekly basis. This week's column (Feb. 18-Feb. 25) is highlighted by the victory of Godolphin homebred Lake Lucerne (Dubawi {Ire}) in the Albert M. Stall Memorial S. at Fair Grounds on Feb. 18. A worldwide influence for class, Dubawi celebrated his 250th stakes winner with Lake Lucerne's two-length victory for Brendan Walsh and Tyler Gaffalione in a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes in New Orleans eight days previously. The 6-year-old...

Gunned to the front from a middle gate by jockey Tyler Gaffalione, First Defender (3, c, Quality Road--Love And Pride, by A.P. Indy) withstood pressure on all sides and a contested early pace at the Fair Grounds to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star'. Off sharply, the colt found himself sandwiched between horses from the opening strides with Pinfire (Bolt d'Oro) to his inside and Golden Nugget (Mendelssohn) off his outer flank. The trio quickly separated themselves from the rest of the field as they sped through an opening quarter...

C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's White Abarrio (Race Day) tuned up for his expected next start in the Jan. 28 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. with a five-furlong move over the Gulfstream Park main track Friday morning that was timed in :59.24. "It was a good solid work. Tyler [Gaffalione] was on him this morning. He was in good order, finished well," said trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. "He had a good gallop-out. We're pleased with where we're at. Things have gone well so far. We...

Godolphin, LLC, which campaigned 14 North American graded stakes winners, was the country's leading owner by earnings for the second year in a row, while jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. established single-season earnings and stakes wins records and Chad Brown was the leading trainer by earnings for the first time since 2019, according to figures released Tuesday by Equibase Company LLC. Godolphin had 88 North American wins from 438 starts for earnings of $16,343,067, down from its single-season earnings record of $17.4 million set in 2021. The operation was followed on...

To the casual observer, it might appear that success has come fast and early to Tyler Gaffalione, who has yet to see the dawn of his 30th birthday. As of Dec. 7, Gaffalione has registered 1,997 wins with career earnings of just over $113 million. That's pretty heady stuff, especially for a 28-year-old. However, don't let that fool you because the young horseman has already packed a tsunami of sweat and tears--not to mention good old fashioned hard work--into a life still very much in progress. I've had great people...

LEXINGTON, KY - Gutsy Pennsylvania-bred mare Caravel (Mizzen Mast) took the field wire-to-wire and just held off Emaraaty Ana (GB) (Shamardal) with Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) closing powerfully late to give Godolphin the two-three in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint Saturday at Keeneland. The gray mare, dismissed at 42-1, shot out to the early lead as favored Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), who had been expected to set the pace, was off to a slow start after jumping at the break. The favorite was rushing up through the field,...

LEXINGTON, KY - D J Stable's Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) was masterfully handled from far back beneath Tyler Gaffalione and produced a devastating stretch run to secure a year-end divisional championship in Friday's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland. Leave No Trace (Outwork) was three lengths back in second; Raging Sea (Curlin) finished third. "There was lots of doubt probably the entire race given the way she has run in the past," said winning trainer Mark Casse after registering his sixth Breeders' Cup victory. "She is just a really...

It will be a busy couple of days for Flightline (Tapit), who will be the heavy favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 5. Just two days later, a 2.5% share in the future stallion will be auctioned off as part of the Keeneland November sale. The auction will be conducted with a first-of-its-kind Metaverse experience which intends to replicate the excitement of the November Sale. To get the latest on Flightline, we called in one of his co-owners, Bill Farish, to talk about racing's most exciting horse on...

Distance specialist Temple City Terror picked up the first graded stakes win of her career as she nears the end of her6-year-old season in the GIII Rood & Riddle Dowager S. Sunday at Keeneland. Victress of the 12-furlong Keertana S. each of the last two seasons at Churchill, the dark bay ran second to MGISW War Like Goddess (English Channel) in the GII Glens Falls S. two back Aug. 6 at Saratoga and was last seen finishing fourth in the GII Flower Bowl S. there four weeks later. Off as...

EXTRA ANEJO, a $1,350,000 KEESEP purchase bet down to 7-5 for his debut performance, backed up those odds with an impressive romp on debut to earn 'TDN Rising Star' status. After breaking on top, he took steady pressure from a pair of rivals to his outside up the backstretch run. He began to edge clear under his own power into the far turn and showed another gear when asked with a single tap of the crop at the top of the lane to draw off readily. Under a motionless Tyler...

The Churchill Downs stewards have suspended jockey Sonny Leon 15 days for his controversial ride on second-place finisher Rich Strike (Keen Ice) in Saturday's GII Lukas Classic S. The head-on view of the race clearly showed Leon leaning into jockey Tyler Gaffalione on winner Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) and he appeared to elbow his rival rider. In a ruling issued Sunday, the stewards determined that Leon was guilty of "intentionally attempting to interfere with and impede the progress of a rival by repeatedly making physical contact with another rider in...

The Week in Review, by Bill Finley Reflections on an interesting weekend of racing: (*) No, Rich Strike did not win the GII Lukas Classic S. at Churchill Downs. A very game Hot Rod Charlie (Oxbow) had a second surge and came back just before the wire to nip him by a head. But not only was there no shame in losing, this was the best race of Rich Strike's career-better, yes, the GI Kentucky Derby-and finally put to rest that he was a one-race wonder who just got lucky...