Luis Saez Earns First Churchill Fall Meet Riding Title

After narrowly topping Tyler Gaffalione last month in a thrilling finish in the jockey’s race at Keeneland, Luis Saez did it again—in come-from-behind fashion—securing the Churchill Downs fall title in the final two days of the meet.

Heading into the last weekend of the meet Gaffalione looked all but home free to repeat his title until Saez took Saturday, Nov. 26 by storm, notching six victories on the 12-race card. The 30-year-old Saez vaulted to the top of the rider's standing while falling one win short of tying the Churchill one-day win record of seven set by Pat Day in 1984 and Julien Leparoux in 2008. Saez won Saturday’s feature, the $400,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2), aboard the Brad Cox-trained Instant Coffee .

Although Gaffalione landed four races on Sunday's closing day card, Saez ecked out the fall crown by a 23-21 win count. He accumulated $2,488,896 in earnings. Represented by agent and retired trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, Saez was riding his first full-time meet at Churchill Downs this fall.

“I love it here at Churchill Downs,” Saez told Churchill Downs publicity Nov. 27. “Every day, I come here to try and ride the best I can. It was a great day and I’m very grateful.”

A top 10-leading rider since 2017, Saez currently ranks number five in the country in earnings as of Nov. 28.

The trainer's title race was also close, with Mike Maker besting Steve Asmussen by one win, 12-11. Maker took home his fifth Churchill Downs fall meet title and his eighth overall title at the Louisville oval. Brad Cox, third in the standings, touted the highest earnings at the meet with $1,215,892 compared to Maker's $1,018,550. Cox won graded stakes with Instant Coffee in the Kentucky Jockey Club and the Nov. 25 Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2T) with Bubble Rock .

Seven owners tied in the owner's race, with none winning more than three races. Those owners were Godolphin, Lothenbach Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Three Diamonds Farm, Jim and Susan Hill, Kyle W. Nagel, and the partnership of Paradise Farms and David Staudacher.

Godolphin captured the headlining event of the meet, the Nov. 25 Clark Stakes presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) with their homebred Proxy . The 4-year-old son of Into Mischief   is trained by Michael Stidham.

Lothenbach Stables also had a graded stakes winner during the fall meet with the Chris Block-trained—She Can't Sing  in the Nov. 24 Chilukki Stakes (G3).