2024 Eclipse Awards: Tyler Gaffalione

Tyler Gaffalione again is an Eclipse Award finalist for outstanding jockey after a 2024 season in which he finished third in both mount earnings and graded stakes victories in North America.

His season also was highlighted by seven Grade 1 wins – tied for second on the year among all jockeys.

Gaffalione, who is a 29-year-old native of Florida, won 250 races from 1,477 starts last year to rank sixth in wins in North America. His mounts earned $28,987,644, and he compiled 23 graded stakes victories.

Gaffalione’s top wins included the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland with East Avenue. The promising son of Medaglia d’Oro darted home in front by more than five lengths, and the Beyer Speed Figure of 95 that he earned was one of the top 10 numbers put up by a 2-year-old in 2024.

“He broke out of there sharp, set a good tempo up front,” Gaffalione told Daily Racing Form. “He was doing it so easy, it felt like a gallop. I gave him his head, he kept building on that, and even in the gallop-out he wanted to keep going. He was fighting me to pull him up.

:: Full list of 2024 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories

“He’s just different, everything about him.”

On the same Oct. 5 card, Gaffalione guided Carl Spackler to victory in the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile. Earlier in the year, Gaffalione and Carl Spackler teamed to win in the Grade 1 FanDuel Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga. The win came during a four-day stretch in which Gaffalione went 10 for 29 at Saratoga.

“To cap [the week] off with a win like this and celebrate with the family is amazing,” Gaffalione said. “This is why we do this, this is the place we want to be, and to accomplish these things is truly amazing.”

Gaffalione also won Grade 1 races last year with Society, Nakatomi, Sierra Leone, and Alva Starr.

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