Gaffalione picks himself up, dusts himself off, boots home Hanalei Moon in One Dreamer

FRANKLIN, Ky. – Tyler Gaffalione has become known for many positive traits in his five years as an up-and-coming jockey. Add “resilient” to that list.

Just three races after returning to the jockeys’ room unable to put pressure on his right leg, the 24-year-old rider was giving Hanalei Moon a textbook trip in winning the $250,000 One Dreamer on opening day of the Runhappy meet at Kentucky Downs.

Gaffalione was thrown to the turf when his mount, Armchair Jockey, suddenly wheeled in the gallop-out to the fourth race. When exiting the track ambulance, Gaffalione almost certainly appear finished for the day as he hobbled out of view.

“I popped my knee out of place,” said Gaffalione. “Then we had to put it back in. It took some time to ice it for a little while. Just had to loosen it up a little bit.”

His quick recovery was a factor in Hanalei Moon winning the One Dreamer, a mile and 70-yard race restricted to non-winners of a stakes this year. Always comfortable in a prime stalking spot among 10 fillies and mares, Hanalei Moon tipped out for the long stretch drive before pulling away to a 2 1/4-length score over 24-1 shot Na Pali Spirit. The winner paid $12 after finishing in 1:43.16 over firm going.

Oh So Terrible was third, Classy Act was fourth, and Limari, the 8-5 favorite, faded to eighth.

Trained by Mark Casse, Hanalei Moon, a 4-year-old Stonestreet Stables homebred by Malibu Moon, had won three times from 12 prior starts. This was her first stakes win.

Jezebel's Kitten ($10.40) easily in Juvenile Fillies
Giving Florent Geroux his third winner of the day, Jezebel’s Kitten drew off with flair in winning the $494,000 Juvenile Fillies by 4 3/4 lengths. The bay daughter of Kitten’s Joy returned $10.40 as second choice in a full gate of 12 2-year-old fillies.

Trained by Brad Cox for the Ilium Stables of Angelantonio Freda, Jezebel’s Kitten finished the one-mile distance in 1:40.06. Ask Bailey was second and Battleofwinterfell was third.

Jezebel’s Kitten was coming off a narrow win in her lone prior start, an Aug. 10 maiden race at Ellis Park.

“When I tipped her out, she just flew home,” said Geroux. “She passed like five, six horses in like a sixteenth of a mile.”

“We’ve thought a lot of her from the beginning,” said Cox. “This was really impressive. Hopefully she’ll become a standout for us.”

The win would have been the fourth of the day for Geroux and the third for Cox, but they were victimized by the disqualification of Lady Jenneviere in the sixth race.

The victory came with just the fourth starter for Freda as an owner.

Peace Achieved ($12) in Juvenile

Casse also was the winning trainer when Peace Achieved, racing just off the pace in a favorable outside position, swept to the lead in the upper stretch in posting a 2 1/2-length score over Fenwick Station in the $500,000 Gainesway Farm Juvenile. Miguel Mena was up for the JSM Equine of Joe Minor.

Peace Achieved, a bay colt by Declaration of War, was coming off a maiden romp at Ellis Park in his third career start. He returned $12 as third choice after finishing a mile in 1:40.39.

Longclaw was third and Night Time was fourth in a field of 12 2-year-old colts and geldings.

Pick four returns $2,066

The Juvenile, the last of 10 Saturday races, ended an all-stakes pick four that paid $2,066.10 on a 50-cent wager. Handle was $273,185. The winning numbers were 7-1-7-12.

All-sources mutuel handle for the entire card was $8,464,103, a record for opening day. The former record of $6,185,062 was set last year. The all-time single-day Kentucky Downs handle record is $10,039,008.

The second of five Kentucky Downs cards is set for Thursday. The last three dates of this abbreviated meet are Sept. 7, 8, and 12.