Sierra Leone jockey Tyler Gaffalione summoned for stewards' review over Derby ride

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who rode Sierra Leone to a second-place finish in Saturday's Kentucky Derby, has been ordered to attend a video review of his ride in the race, in which he reached out and made contact with third-place finisher Forever Young late in the stretch.

State stewards will conduct the review, scheduled for Thursday, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission said in a written statement.

"The stewards conduct film reviews routinely to review the conduct of jockeys during a race," the statement from the commission says. "The stewards in their discretion can take disciplinary action against a jockey following the review."

Gaffalione appeared to reach out with his left hand and touch Japanese contender Forever Young and his rider, Ryusei Sakai, deep in the stretch as both were rallying late to challenge eventual winner Mystik Dan.

Contact between the two horses began well before, when Forever Young appeared to veer slightly into Sierra Leone earlier in the stretch.

After the race, Gaffalione said, "I had a hard time keeping him straight and it definitely cost us."

A day later, Sierra Leone's trainer, Chad Brown, said Gaffalione was trying to keep his balance to get room to use the whip with his left hand, which the colt responds to. Gaffalione also said after the race he was trying to keep his balance as his colt bore in.

No stewards inquiry was posted after the race, which Mystik Dan won in a three-way photo finish.

"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," the KHRC statement 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."

Hiroshi Ando, racing manager for Forever Young's owner, Susumu Fujita, said, "Claims of foul do not happen in Japan. It is the stewards' call, not us. . . . They were fighting together all the way, not just at that moment. When they got to the top of the straight, they were fighting all the way to the wire. This is racing."

The KHRC did not say whether Sakai was summoned for a similar review or questioned about his ride.

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