An ebullient Gaffalione savors first classic win

BALTIMORE – As disappointed as he was two weeks earlier, that’s how happy Tyler Gaffalione was Saturday at Pimlico.

Absolutely beaming in the aftermath of his first victory in a Triple Crown event, which came when War of Will raced to victory in the 144th Preakness, Gaffalione said: “This wasn’t about redemption or revenge or anything like that. We were just focused on getting the horse to the winner’s circle.”

Gaffalione had come under criticism from certain corners for his role in the highly scrutinized incident that occurred with about five-sixteenths of a mile remaining in the May 4 Kentucky Derby, wherein he steadied and altered course aboard War of Will behind Maximum Security, who ultimately became the only first-place finisher in Derby history disqualified for an in-race infraction. Gaffalione mostly distanced himself from such discussions in the Derby aftermath and did so again Saturday after winning the Preakness, choosing only to accentuate the positive.

Still, the whole Derby brouhaha left an unsavory taste in his mouth, mostly because he felt like War of Will is better than how he finished. The colt faded to eighth before being elevated to seventh via the disqualification.

“I’m so happy for the horse,” said Gaffalione, who now has ridden War of Will in his last six races, including romps in a pair of Derby preps at Fair Grounds, the Lecomte and Risen Star, that stamped the colt as a serious player in the division. “He’s so special.”

Mark Casse, trainer of War of Will, has been among Gaffalione’s strongest supporters, riding him with increasing regularity on some of his best horses. His stout defense of Gaffalione after the Derby stems no doubt from his longtime loyalty to the young rider.

“People were saying it was Tyler’s fault,” said Casse. “That got me pretty fired up.”

Gaffalione, 24, grew up around horses in South Florida, where he followed in the footsteps of his grandfather, Bobby, and father, Steve, in becoming a jockey at age 19. His talent quickly became apparent, and he won the Eclipse Award for outstanding apprentice in 2015 while riding primarily at Miami-area tracks. His career arc has continued to ascend as the years have passed, and he is further entrenching himself with the North American riding elite as he has expanded his horizons into New York and Kentucky, where last fall he pulled off a sweet parlay of being the leading rider at the Keeneland and Churchill Downs meets.

His winning Preakness ride, ironically, was very much like his Derby ride – without the trouble. Always in a good tracking spot from just behind the leader, Warrior’s Charge, while saving valuable ground on both turns, he urged War of Will through a rail opening when the opportunity presented itself in upper stretch.

Responding to a couple of right-handed smacks, War of Will lengthened stride when seizing command inside the furlong pole, then kept digging deep when getting one left-handed smack. It was a vigorous hand ride to the wire, with War of Will finishing 1 1/4 lengths ahead of the photo that Everfast nabbed for second by a nose over Owendale.

“I was just hoping we’d hold on,” said Gaffalione. “I didn’t want to look back and see who was coming. I just wanted to get there.”

In that euphoric moment when he crossed under the wire for the greatest victory of his nascent career, whatever acrimony and regret that lingered from the Derby was over.

“I can’t even put it into words,” said a joyful Gaffalione. “I can’t thank my family and everyone else enough for all their support. I’m just so grateful.”