Welcome back, Tyler! Gaffione goes 5-for-7 upon return to riding
Jockey sweeps Jeff Hall Memorial (Banishing), Twin Bridges (Asternia)
(Updated Ellis Park press release. Coady Media photo of #3 Banishing nosing out Booth to win the Jeff Hall Memorial)
HENDERSON, Ky. – Jockey Tyler Gaffalione returned from a four-month injury layoff to win five of his first seven mounts at Ellis Park, including sweeping Sunday’s $150,000 Jeff Hall Memorial aboard Banishing and Monday’s $150,000 Twin Bridges on Asternia.
Gaffalione finished fourth in his only mount on Saturday’s weather-shortened card, went 2 for 2 Sunday and 3-for-4 Monday. The five wins already tie him for fourth in the Ellis Park jockey standings, while his $341,758 accrued put him sixth in career earnings. Jaime Torres leads both categories with 10 wins and $566,092 in purses.
Gaffalione will be host Louie Rabaut’s featured guest on Friday’s Kentucky Racing Spotlight, 6-7 p.m. ET on ESPN 680/105.7, at www.espnlouisville.com and on the ESPN 680 app.
Stakes details:
Lawrence P. Roman and David Jacobson’s Banishing surged in the shadow of the wire to nose out Booth in Sunday’s $150,000 Jeff Hall Memorial at Ellis Park, capping a two-win day in the comeback of jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who returned this week from a four-month injury layoff.
Trained by co-owner Jacobson, Banishing completed the 6 ½-furlong sprint in 1:14.97 over a fast track.
In the early stages of the Jeff Hall Memorial, Banishing tracked in third as Booth and Champlin dueled through an opening quarter-mile in :22.08. Gaffalione kept Banishing in the clear in the two-path while two-time Jeff Hall Memorial winner Here Mi Song advanced on the outside as the field entered the far turn. Turning for home, Banishing swung out to the four path and began his rally. Booth edged past Champlin in upper stretch but couldn’t hold off Banishing, who collared him at the wire for his eighth career win.
Banishing returned $3.74 to win. Booth, ridden by Erik Asmussen, paid $4.82 to place. Here Mi Song held third at odds of 9-1, returning $3.48 to show.
Durante rounded out the superfecta, followed by Three Technique, Banjo Chris, Champlin, and Ryvit.
The victory was worth $90,140, increasing Banishing’s earnings to $1,308,709 from 22 starts.
Banishing is a 5-year-old gelded son of Ghostzapper out of the A.P. Indy mare Dowager, bred in Kentucky by Godolphin.
Asternia won by a length over the late-running Mink’s Palace, covering six furlongs over a sloppy, sealed track in 1:10.26 and paying $7.24 to win. The 4-year-old daughter of Astern earned her second stakes victory and now is 4-5-1 in 17 starts, earning $593,427. She’s trained by Louisville-based Randy Morse for owners Randy Patterson, Sam Vogel and Morse. Astern cost $90,000 two years ago at the April OBS 2-year-old sale.
