Jockey Tyler Gaffalione fined for 'touching a rival' near the finish line in 150th Kentucky Derby
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Jockey Tyler Gaffalione was fined $2,500 Friday for “touching a rival with his left hand” near the finish of the 150th Kentucky Derby.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's ruling was posted on its website. Gaffalione was aboard Sierra Leone, who finished second behind Mystik Dan. The jockey touched Forever Young, who finished third at Churchill Downs last weekend.
Sierra Leone lugged in and bumped Forever Young three times in the stretch, but jockey Ryusei Sakai didn’t claim foul.
Chad Brown, who trains Sierra Leone, has said Gaffalione was trying to make room for his left-handed whip.
The stewards did not issue an inquiry on the race. However, they ordered Gaffalione to attend a film review of the race. The stewards, in their discretion, can take disciplinary action against a jockey following the review. The 29-year-old rider was fined, but not suspended.
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