Florida Focus

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Memorial Classic at Fair Grounds and the $75,000 Tropical Park Derby at Gulfstream.

He was a $1.2 million purchase by the Lows at the 2019 OBS Spring Sale where he was consigned by Ciaran Dunne’s Wavertree Stables.

Colonel Liam will stand for a fee of $6,500 S&N. For more information on Colonel Liam, contact Ocala Stud at (352) 237-2171.

–Ocala Stud Press Release n

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione rode his 2,000th winner Jan. 20 at Gulfstream Park, where his burgeoning riding career began back in 2014.

The 28-year-old native of Davie, Fla., had closed to within one victory of 2,000 wins earlier in t he day aboard pick-up mount Temerity ($8), a Florida-bred daughter of Ocala Stud stallion Adios Charlie, before reaching the milestone aboard Megacity ($10) in Race 6.

“I feel so blessed. I just want to thank the people who have gotten me to this point, all the people who put in numerous hours in the mornings to make my job easier,” Gaffalione said. “I love what I do. I love being here. It couldn’t have happened at a better place, my home track.”

Gaffalione, who won his first race on only his third mount, Holdin’ Bullets Sept. 5, 2014 at Gulfstream, enjoyed considerable success right from the start, being honored with an Eclipse Award for the outstanding apprentice jockey in 2015.

“I was a little worried we weren’t going to get it done today and then we’re going out of town tomorrow,” Gaffalione said about his scheduled mounts at Fair Grounds Saturday. “But it all worked out.”

Gaffalione notched Win No. 2,001 aboard Concrete Glory ($5.20) in Race 9.

Gaffalione, whose father and grandfather were jockeys, is coming off a career-best 2022 season, during which he won seven Grade 1 races, including the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (Grade 1) aboard White Abarrio. He also won his first two Breeders’ Cup races with Wonder Wheel in the NetJets Juvenile Fillies (G1) and Caravel in the Turf Sprint (G1).

Wonder Wheel’s Hall of Fame trainer Mark Case provided Gaffalione with his first success in a Triple Crown race with 2019 Preakness Stakes (G1)-winner War of Will.

Gaffalione has established himself as Kentucky’s most dominant jockey for the past several years while annually ranking among t he top jocks during Gulfstream’s Championship Meet.

Gulfstream Park Press Office n

Jockey Junior Alvarado rode Broadway Force ($7.80) to victory in Race 5 at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 21 to reach the 2,000-win career milestone.

“It hasn’t come easy for me—I’ve had a lot of injuries—but that’s what makes every win worth it,” Alvarado said following a winner ’s circle celebration for his career r iding feat. “A Grade 1 or a claiming race, I’m grateful for each win. I don’t take anything for granted.”

“It seems like a whole year since winning a race. I wanted it so bad. It seems like I was riding against 10 horses for each horse I was riding,” Alvarado said after going winless in his 10 starts since winning his 1,999th race on Jan. 18. “Maybe I was over-trying. Today, I had a mindset to take it race by race, take it easy and not overdo anything.”

Alvarado is coming off a memorable and successful 2022 racing season, during which he rode Mott-trained Olympiad to four graded-stakes victories, including a win in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). He finished second on Olympiad in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) behind Flightline but found the Keeneland winner ’s circle aboard Mott-trained Cody’s Wish, who scored a feel-good triumph in the Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

Alvarado, who rode his first career winner at La Rinconada, Venezuela in 2005, rode his first U.S. winner (Rodolfo Garcia-trained Satira) at Gulfstream Feb. 17, 2007, 15 days after making his U.S. debut at the Hallandale Beach track.

Gulfstream Park Press Office n

Borders Racing Stable Ltd.’s Roaring Forties won his first career stakes at the age of seven on Jan. 21 at Gulfstream Park as the determined veteran captured the $75,000 Sunshine Turf against older Florida-breds going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the turf.

Florida after shipping from Woodbine Racecourse, where he had made all 23 of his career starts.

He was most recently sixth, beaten just three lengths by winner Candy Overload in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road going six furlongs on the all-weather main surface at Woodbine on Nov. 27. His last victory came three starts prior to the Sunshine Turf in a high level, $80,000 optional claimers going six-and-a-half furlongs on the grass on Sept. 5 before finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Neartic won by Cazadero going six furlongs on the turf on Oct. 8.

Roaring Forties is by Stormy Atlantic out of Sweet Tart, by Lemon Drop Kid and was bred by Stroud Lane Farm. He is a half-brother to River Rush, winner of the 2012 Plate Trial; and six other winners from eight starters produced by Sweet Tart. Sweet Tart has an unraced yearling filly, La Mentirosa, by Almasty. n

Rodney G. Lundock’s Florida homebred Maryquitecontrary took her fifth consecutive race and has now won six of seven career starts with her score in the Grade 2 Inside Information at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28. The $200,000 Inside Information, at seven furlongs, had a field of 10 fillies and mares, 4-years-old and older, including 4-5 favorite Obligatory, winner of the Grade 1 t

Trained by Katerina Vassilieva and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, Roaring Forties went straight to the front from the outside post seven in the Sunshine Turf and never relinquished the lead on his way to a half-length victory ahead of Hot Blooded in second with Me and Mr. C third. Lure Him In was fourth followed by 2-1 favorite Max K.O. and Braccio Di Ferro. Indy Lyon was scratched.

Roaring Forties led by two lengths while finishing the first quarter-mile in :23.10 with Max K.O. in closest pursuit in second. Max K.O. kept Roaring Forties within striking distance down the backstretch and pulled within a length-and-a-half of the frontrunner while they finished the half-mile in :47.69.

Max K.O. continued to close the gap around the far turn as Hot Blooded began to race into contention while three-wide but Roaring Forties found another gear turning for home and extended his lead to two lengths in mid-stretch. Hot Blooded made a late run but ran out of turf while Roaring Forties finished in 1:40.57 on the firm course.

Roaring Forties paid $17 to win.

Roaring Forties was making his first career start in his native