Endorsed Tangles With Dennis' Moment in Mr. Prospector

Fresh off winning his seventh riding title at Churchill Downs last month, Florida native Tyler Gaffalione will look to add to his riding success aboard Mark Breen's Endorsed  in the $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park Dec. 11. The seven-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds and up is the first of 37 graded stakes during the Championship Meet there.

The 27-year-old jockey, who rode his first career winner at Gulfstream in 2014 on his way to being honored with an Eclipse Award as North America's champion apprentice in 2015, has gotten off to a solid start at the Championship Meet with four wins though Dec. 8.

Endorsed, claimed for $100,000 out of a third-place finish in an Aug. 26 optional claiming allowance at Saratoga Race Course, has been winless in three starts for current trainer Mike Maker, though he has performed at a high level. He ran third in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes, fourth in the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) at Keeneland, and a close third in an optional claiming allowance at Churchill Downs while being ridden by Gaffalione for the first time.

"Since Mike took over his training, he's really coming into his own. He's had three big performances in his last three races against top-quality horses," Gaffalione said. "It seems like he leaves himself with too much to do. I'm hoping the extra difference will help him out and he gets a clean trip."

The 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro   is graded stakes-placed and has run respectably in a few grade 1s, but he is still seeking to win his first stakes in a steady 23-race career.

Saffie Joseph Jr. will run Daniel Alonso's Wind of Change  and Vegso Racing Stable's Officiating  in Saturday's stakes.

Wind of Change (Forestry ), who won the ungraded Mr. Prospector Stakes at Monmouth Park in May, is coming off a second-place finish in an optional claiming allowance in his first start on Gulfstream's Tapeta course.

"I thought he handled it well. Obviously, going in there was a bit of unknown because he had never been on it. Overall, I thought it was a good race," Joseph said. "The horse that beat him (King of Dreams ) came back and won a stakes. A good horse beat him."

Joseph expects Wind of Change to be a forward factor in the Mr. Prospector.

"His best style of running is on lead, so we're trying, hopefully, to go to the lead," he said.

Edgard Zayas has the mount aboard the Brazilian-bred 6-year-old.

Officiating, who made a middle move on Tapeta before fading to 10th in the Showing Up, won the off-the-turf Bear's Den Stakes at seven furlongs over a sloppy track in his previous start. He is 0-0-1 in four starts on dry dirt.

"It's kind of an experiment," Joseph said of Saturday's race. "He's training so well on the dirt. I want to give him one try."

Luis Saez is scheduled to ride Officiating (Blame  ) for the first time.

Albaugh Family Stables Dennis' Moment  enters the Mr. Prospector coming off his first win since capturing the 2019 Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. The Dale Romans-trained son of Tiznow  captured a seven-furlong allowance optional claiming race Oct. 21 at Keeneland.

Corey Lanerie has the call aboard Dennis' Moment, who should vie for favoritism.

Calumet Farm's Flap Jack , Russell Staggs' Doc Amster , and Stonehedge's Poppy's Pride  round out the field.