After narrowly overtaking Tyler Gaffalione last month with a thrilling finish in the race at KeenelandLuis Saez did it again—in a back-to-back fashion—guaranteed Churchill Downs The title fell in the last two days of the meeting.
Entering the final weekend of the meet, Gaffalione looked unlikely to get home to repeat his title until Saez stormed out on Saturday, November 26, scoring six wins on the card. 12 races. Saez, 30, moved to the top of the drivers’ standings while missing a win to surpass Churchill’s record of seven wins in a day set by Pat Day in 1984 and Julien Leparoux in 2008. Saez won Saturday’s prize, $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2), on board Trained by Brad Cox Instant coffee .
Although Gaffalione won four races on Sunday’s closing day card, Saez took the fall crown with a 23-21 win. He has accumulated $2,488,896 in earnings. Represented by retired agent and coach Kiaran McLaughlin, Saez joined his first full-time meeting at Churchill Downs this fall.
“I love being here at Churchill Downs,” Saez told the Churchill Downs public on November 27. “I come here every day trying to drive as well as I can. It was a great day and I am so grateful.”
One of the top 10 riders since 2017, Saez is currently fifth in the country in earnings as of November 28.
The coach title race is also over, with Mike Maker edging out Steve Asmussen by a win, 12-11. Maker took home his fifth title in the Churchill Downs fall meeting and his eighth overall title at the Louisville oval. Brad Cox, third in the rankings, touted the top earnings at the meeting with $1,215,892 versus Maker’s $1,018,550. Cox won the graded bets with Instant Coffee in the Kentucky Horse Racing Club and the November 25 (G2T) Mrs. Revere Stock with soccer ball .
Seven owners tie in the owner’s race, with no owner winning more than three races. Those owners are Godolphin, Lothenbach Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Three Diamonds Farm, Jim and Susan Hill, Kyle W. Nagel, and a partnership of Paradise Farms and David Staudacher.
Godolphin captured the highlight of the encounter, November 25 Clark Stakes presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) with their hybrid Authority . 4 year old son of into naughty Trained by Michael Stidham.
Lothenbach Stables also has a classified bet winner in the fall meet with Chris Block-trained—She can’t sing on November 24th Chilukki Stakes (G3).
