Photo:

Eclipse Sportswire & Ron Flatter

Jockey Tyler Gaffalione and trainer Brad Cox each took
command early and never looked back on the way to winning titles at the
Keeneland fall meet that closed Saturday.

Gaffalione captured 24 wins on his way to his fifth fall meet
and eighth overall Keeneland leading-rider title. Among his victories were four
stakes including the Grade 1 Turf Mile on Carl Spackler, the Breeders’ Futurity
(G1) on East Avenue, the Raven Run (G2) on Emery and the Sycamore (G3) on
Highway Robber.

Click here for Keeneland entries and results.

Finishing second and third, respectively, in the standings
were Luis Sáez and José Ortiz. Saez recorded 20 wins including the Woodford
(G2) with Our Shot. Ortiz won the Thoroughbred Club of America (G2) with
Zeitlos and the First Lady (G1) with Gina Romantica on his way to 17 meet
victories. 

Cox led all trainers with 14 wins to earn his fifth
consecutive fall meet and sixth Keeneland overall. Headlining his totals were
his record six stakes including the Phoenix (G2) with Federal Judge, the Alcibiades
(G1) with Immersive, the Spinster (G1) with champion Idiomatic, the Raven Run (G2)
with Emery, the Dowager (G3) with Chop Chop and the Fayette (G2) with Hit Show.

Rodolphe Brisset ranked second in the trainer standings with
nine wins. Rusty Arnold and Brendan Walsh tied for third with eight wins each.
Arnold’s total was boosted by back-to-back stakes victories on Oct. 25 with
Echo Sound in the Myrtlewood and Poolside With Slim in the Valley View (G2).
Walsh won the Breeders’ Futurity with East Avenue.

Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin won four races, including two
stakes, to be the fall meet’s leading owner. The title was Godolphin’s third in
a fall meet in the past four years and sixth overall. Victories included the Breeders’
Futurity with East Avenue and the Alcibiades with Immersive.

Keeneland’s 17-day fall meet had season-record, all-sources
wagering of more than $210 million boosted by record purse money.

“The fall meet was exceptional,” Keeneland president and CEO
Shannon Arvin said. “The class and quality of the horses and riders competing
here are truly special, and we appreciate the tremendous support from our
owners and trainers who make the choice to race with us.”

All-sources wagering not including whole-card simulcasting
at Keeneland this fall totaled a record $210,165,945, besting the previous
record of $208,907,655 set during the 2022 fall meet and marking an increase of
4 percent over last fall’s $201,966,111.  

All-sources wagering for opening weekend Oct. 4-6 was $49.5
million, just shy of the record $49.9 million handled during the comparable
three days in 2022. Wagering on opening Saturday’s 11-race card, headlined by
five graded stakes, was $22,356,693 for a single-day fall-meet record.

The Pick 5 pool broke Keeneland records twice in October. On
Wednesday, Oct. 9, the early Pick 5 pool of $2,427,483 bested the previous
Keeneland record of $1,696,981 set on Blue Grass (G1) day during the 2024 spring
meet. Two weeks later on Wednesday, the late Pick 5 pool of $2,801,055
established both a Keeneland record and a national record for a Wednesday Pick
5, exceeding the $2,549,098 handled at Del Mar on Aug. 15, 2012. The Pick 5
carryover going into Wednesday also was a record $301,895.

On-track wagering of $16,597,162 increased 2 percent from
last year’s $16,270,885.