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Gaffalione, Ward, Godolphin In Front With Three Days To Go In Keeneland Spring Meet

With three days remaining in Keeneland’s Spring Meet, here is a look at the races for leading jockey, trainer and owner:

Among jockeys, Tyler Gaffalione has 15 victories, just ahead of Irad Ortiz Jr. (14 wins) and Jose Ortiz (13 wins). Gaffalione, who is bidding for his third consecutive title as the Spring Meet’s leading jockey, is named on horses in seven races Wednesday, seven races Thursday and seven races Friday.

Gaffalione won three races on April 6, including the Toyota Blue Grass (G1) on Sierra Leone and the Resolute Racing Madison (G1) on Alva Star.

Irad Ortiz had a four-win day Sunday, April 21 to move into second place in the standings. Winner of the Central Bank Ashland (G1) on Leslie’s Rose and the Giant’s Causeway (G3) on Roses for Debra, he is named on horses in five races Wednesday, six races Thursday and six races Friday.

Winner of three races April 7 and April 17, Jose Ortiz is named on horses in five races today, six races Thursday and seven races Friday. His Spring Meet wins include three stakes: the Commonwealth (G3) on Bo Cruz, the Palisades (L) on Fandom (GB) and the FanDuel Limestone on Hot Beach.

Wesley Ward, who is seeking his seventh consecutive title as the Spring Meet’s leading trainer, has horses entered in one race Wednesday, three races Thursday and five races Friday. His wins include the aforementioned Palisades.

Second with sevens apiece are Chad Brown and Brad Cox.

Winner of three races April 6, including the aforementioned Toyota Blue Grass, Brown has three entrants today, two Thursday and one Friday. His other stakes wins are the Jenny Wiley (G1) with Beaute Cache (FR) and the Baird Doubledogdare (G3) with Raging Sea.

Cox has two entrants Wednesday, two Thursday and three Friday. His stakes wins are the MiddleGround Capital Beaumont (G2) with Denim and Pearls and the Stonestreet Lexington (G3) with Encino.

As of the start of racing Wednesday, the leading owner with five wins is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Godolphin, which is bidding for its fourth leading owner title. Three of Godolphin’s wins have come in stakes: Maker’s Mark Mile (G1) with Master of The Seas (IRE), VisitLEX Elkhorn (G2) with Silver Knott (GB) and Stonestreet Lexington (G3) with Encino.

Charlie Appleby trains Master of The Seas and Silver Knott. 

Appleby brought a total of seven Godolphin horses late last month to compete in graded stakes during the Spring Meet. Including Master of The Seas and Silver Knott, those starters produced two wins, three seconds plus a third and a fifth.

Godolphin has three entrants remaining: two on Wednesday and one Thursday.

Second with four wins is Juddmonte, which has one entrant Wednesday and one Friday.