Tyler Gaffalione (born September 12, 1994, in Davie, Florida) is an American jockey who, since being voted the Eclipse Award for the 2015 U.S. Champion Apprentice Jockey, has become one of racing's rising stars having won more than 200 races every year in his first three full seasons. [2] He won the 2019 Preakness Stakes aboard War of Will.
Born in Davie, Florida, Gaffalione is the son of former jockey Steve Gaffalione, who rode from 1978 through 1998. He was four when he got his first pony and spent much time on the backstretch with his father. Gaffalione attended Western and Sunlake High School, graduating from the latter in 2013. [3] [4]
Tyler Gaffalione rode his first winner in the third race of his career on September 7, 2014, at Gulfstream Park. A track that became a favorite, on May 3, 2015, he won five races on a single Gulfstream Park racecard then on July 4, 2017, he tied Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey's 19-year-old record by winning seven races on a single Gulfstream Park racecard. [5] On June 30, 2018, Tyler Gaffalione captured his sixth riding title at Gulfstream Park. [6]
In 2018, Tyler Gaffalione was riding primarily at Gulfstream Park and Saratoga Race Course. He earned his first Grade I victory in the La Troienne aboard Salty and finished in eleventh place in the National Earnings list. [1]
In 2019, he teamed up with trainer Mark Casse to win the Preakness Stakes with War of Will. [3]
| Chart (2014–present) | Rank by earnings |
|---|---|
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2014 | 439 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2015 | 33 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2016 | 28 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2017 | 12 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2018 | 11 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2019 | 10 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2020 | 4 |
| National Earnings List for Jockeys 2021 | 6 |
Media related to Tyler Gaffalione at Wikimedia Commons
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