Gaffalione wins 7 in one day, tying the track record

HALLANDALE BEACH — As a young man growing up in a racing family, Tyler Gaffalione idolized jockey Jerry Bailey. After his performance Tuesday at Gulfstream Park, Gaffalione will be forever linked to the Hall of Fame jockey.

Gaffalione rode seven winners on the special July 4 racing card, tying the track record for most winners ridden in a day set by Bailey on March 11, 1995. The accomplishment further adds to the 22-year-old’s impressive body of work in a career that spans less than four years and finds him the winningest jockey in the United States in 2017.

“I copied everything (Bailey) did,” Gaffalione said. “Between him and my father, they were my two biggest influences. This is such an honor and I can’t thank everyone enough, my agent and all of the trainers, the owners, the horses and everyone in the jock’s room for all of the support. I couldn’t do this without them.”

Gaffalione, who upped his total to 165 wins on the year with the record-tying haul, notched one of his wins in the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes aboard Adorable Miss and fell ¾-lengths from setting the mark outright in the $100,000 Not Surprising Stakes, the two feature races on the day.

In the Martha Washington, which like the Not Surprising was contested at a mile on the turf, Gaffalione placed 1-2 favorite Adorable Miss just outside and a length off pacesetter Katinka, who led the field of seven fillies through a very slow opening half-mile in 50.04 seconds.

Midway through the turn, Gaffalione asked the Todd Pletcher-trained Adorable Miss to run and she responded confidently to win in a time of 1:35.59.

“The race set up nicely for us,” Gaffalione said. “There was only one speed horse in front of us and we just sat right off of her. I had a ton of horse. Todd does a great job prepping his horses and when I asked her to run she just exploded.”

Katinka did not completely retreat when passed, hanging on to fall just ¾-lenghts short. Fancy Kitten put a neck ahead of Bitacora to take show money.

Gaffalione tied Bailey’s mark, which was set when he was just six months old, aboard Stormin Charlotte in the ninth race. Heading into the Not Surprising, which was the following race, Gaffalione had the mount on race favorite Bronson, also trained by Pletcher.

However, the outright title was not to be, as 10-1 General McGooby led from gate to wire to capture the stake in a time of 1:34.65.