Kentucky Derby stretch duel results in fine for jockey Tyler Gaffalione, but no suspension

The jockey of this year’s second-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby received a $2,500 fine from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission’s Board of Stewards on Friday.

Sierra Leone’s jockey, Tyler Gaffalione, was fined that amount for touching a rival with his left hand while nearing the finish of the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 4 at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Gaffalione made contact with the race’s third-place runner, Japanese-bred Forever Young.

“Upon receipt of this ruling, it is required within thirty (30) days to pay any and all fines imposed to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Failure to do so will subject the licensee to summary suspension of license pursuant to 810 KAR 3:020 Section 15 (CC),” the stewards ruling read.

Gaffalione — who was ordered to a film review of the race, which took place Thursday — won’t be suspended.

Mystik Dan won the historic 150th edition of the Derby in a three-way photo finish over Sierra Leone (second) and Forever Young (third). Mystik Dan’s win was one of the narrowest margins of victory in Kentucky Derby history, and the first time the race was decided by a nose margin since 1996.

The Derby went official with that same finishing order.

Last Saturday, track stewards said no inquiries were raised after the race despite the physical duel for second place between Sierra Leone and Forever Young, who became the first horse with ties to Japan to hit the board in the Run for the Roses.

Videos and photos surfaced after the race showing Gaffalione making contact with Forever Young and jockey Ryusei Sakai, and viewers on social media began calling into question Gaffalione’s actions.

“The stewards review every race in Kentucky live and by video replay before posting it official and they followed the same procedure for the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby,” a statement from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Monday afternoon said. “After conducting their standard review of the race, determining no further review or investigation was necessary to conclude there were no incidents that altered the finish of the race, and seeing there were no objections filed, the stewards posted the Kentucky Derby official.”

“The stewards conduct film reviews routinely to review the conduct of jockeys during a race,” the KHRC statement said. “The stewards, in their discretion, can take disciplinary action against a jockey following the review.”

Following last Saturday’s race, Sakai and the rest of the Japanese connections handling Forever Young didn’t comment on the incident.

“Everything was going to plan as the horse got into a good rhythm on the first turn as we were able to save ground. I got into a nice position and followed Forever Young and he started to make a good move,” said Gaffalione, 29, about Sierra Leone’s Derby trip.

“I decided to follow him and coming into the stretch, I felt like I had plenty of horse. He wanted to lean in today and made it a little difficult. I had a hard time keeping him straight and that definitely cost us. He gives you everything, very responsive but he loses concentration.”

Sierra Leone was bidding to become the first winner of the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, a Kentucky Derby prep race, to go on to win the Derby since Strike the Gold in 1991.

While that stretch battle between Sierra Leone and Forever Young was called into question, Mystik Dan’s rail-ride from jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. meant that he wasn’t involved in the duel.

Mystik Dan’s win gave Hernandez and trainer Kenny McPeek a historic Oaks-Derby double last weekend in Louisville. The jockey-trainer pairing also teamed up to win the 150th edition of the Kentucky Oaks on May 3 with Thorpedo Anna.

Previously, the last jockey to do the Oaks-Derby double was Calvin Borel in 2009 with Rachel Alexandra and Mine That Bird. And the last trainer to previously do the double was Ben Jones in 1952 with Real Delight and Hill Gail.

The next leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown is the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 16, at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. It is not yet known if Mystik Dan will run in that race.

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