Kentucky Derby Runner-up Jockey Could Face Disciplinary Action After Video Review

May 6, 2024 Jimm Sallivan

The 2024 Kentucky Derby was as thrilling as it gets. The 150th Run for the Roses finished in breathtaking fashion in a three-way photo finish in the closes race the event has seen since 1996. Many are still buzzing about the result, including some controversy involving jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who was riding runner-up Sierra Leone.

Gaffalione has been ordered to do a film review of the race with stewards on Thursday. Gaffalione could face discipline after the review.

The incident in question came on the final straightaway as Sierra Leone and Forever Young closed on eventual winner Mystik Dan. Gaffalione and Sierra Leone were positioned on the outside, with Forever Young to their left and Mystik Dan on the inside. As the horses neared the finish, Gaffalione reached out with his left arm and appeared to grab Forever Young, ridden by jockey Ryusei Sakai. He maintained contact for a few seconds as the horses appeared to be jostling for position.

Here is the statement from the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission issued on Monday:

“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. 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. Following the race, the Stewards ordered Tyler Gaffalione, jockey aboard Sierra Leone, to film review on May 9, 2024. The Stewards conduct film reviews routinely to review the conduct of jockeys during a race. The Stewards, in their discretion, can take disciplinary action against a jockey following the review.”

It’s unclear what will happen as a result of the review, but SI’s Pat Forde speculated a short suspension would likely be the most that would come of it. And it could result in no punishment at all.

8 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Belmont Stakes Ticket Prices 2024: How Much Does It Cost to Attend?

The final leg of the Triple Crown is here—although it looks a little different than in years past.

This year's Belmont Stakes, the last of the three meaningful horse races of the year behind the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, is not being held at its classic location of Belmont Park. Instead, the race will be held at Saratoga, a track quite used to large crowds and big races. Belmont Park is undergoing renovations this year so the race shifted to Saratoga.

There are no horses competing to complete the Triple Crown this year after Mystik Dan won the Derby and Seize the Grey took the top spot at Preakness. But it's still set to be a great day of horse racing.

How much would it cost to meander on up to Saratoga and buy tickets to see the Belmont Stakes play out? Here's the breakdown of the ticket prices.

You can find the various pricing options available through the Belmont Stakes website, which then redirects to Ticketmaster. There, general admission tickets are currently going for $64.35, or $55 before fees. The GA ticket gets you onto the grounds where you can enjoy all the basic amenities the course has to offer, and offers standing room access for the Clubhouse, Grandstand, and Backyard areas.

However, there are alternative options if you were interested in a more elevated experience.

For a prime view at the final turn, you'll want a ticket for the Cutwater Stretch Grandstand. It's an exclusive private hospitality area with a buffet, cash bar, and private betting areas. Prices vary for the Cutwater Stretch; the cheapest available is $556 after fees and the priciest, which secures you a front-row seat in the Grandstand right at the turn itself, is going for $2,574.

Should you really want to ball out, you can rent out a Spa Veranda on top of the Grandstand at the final turn. Each veranda can host up to 50 guests apiece and comes with "an all-inclusive platter and premium open bar package." They are available starting at $5,500.

If proximity to the finish line is all that matters, you better have bought your tickets a while ago. The only luxury seating area located directly next to the finish line is The Porch, which sold out well in advance. However, there are tickets still available for the 1863 Club, which is just past the finish line. A ticket to get in the door there is going for $2,020.

All in all, as was the case with the Derby and Preakness, it is not altogether unreasonable to simply get through the gates to see the race. The bill runs high when you start branching out into additional amenities. But if you wanted to just see the horses, $65 is all that it'll cost.

Enjoy the race!

4 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Kentucky Derby Ticket Prices 2024: How Much Does It Cost to Get In?

The 2024 Kentucky Derby has finally arrived, and it is a big one. Saturday's race will mark the 150th to take place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. There will undoubtedly be some additional fanfare to celebrate the sesquicentennial race, but you can also expect the usual Derby fare — outrageous outfits, Mint Juleps, and an exciting race.

There will also be the usual assortment of famous and wealthy individuals in attendance. The Derby, among all its other qualities, is a gathering place for many highly successful individuals, from Tom Brady to Jack Harlow. Even the Queen of England attended back in 2007. Whenever the camera pans ove the crowd during the Derby the audience is almost assured to spot someone rich, famous, or both.

Those people don't have any trouble attending the Derby, what with their endless bank accounts and all. But what are ticket prices like for the general population?

Kentucky Derby Ticket Prices 2024

Tickets can be purchased directly from the Kentucky Derby official website.

An Infield General Admission ticket, which gets you in the door, costs $130. This is as basic as basic admission gets for the Derby. You get to go in through the gates to Churchill Downs, receive a program, enjoy what must be an overpriced specialty cocktail, and set up your own lawn chair to watch the Derby itself on the big board.

The next level of GA is listed as an Infield Final Turn General Admission ticket. The price point starts at $275, and it is as advertised. A standing room only ticket that lets you set up shop on the lawn right by the final turn. An exciting place to be, no matter how close the race is, and a fairly reasonable price upgrade compared to the Infield GA ticket.

A higher-level entry price comes in the form of a Frontside Plaza Walkaround ticket, which are already sold out. The starting price listed on the Derby website for such a ticket is $693. Sold as a two-day package for the Kentucky Oaks as well as the Derby, it's advertised as enjoying "a reimagined view of the Paddock with standing room access and frontside amenities." Regardless, that's a pretty penny, to be sure.

After that is when the real money starts rolling. The hospitality suites are all very expensive; the Silks Balcony & Loge, for example, charges $3,650 for entry. The Turf Club Balcony & Terrace costs $3,525 to get in. There are some more semi-reasonable options, such as the Champions Balcony & Loge ($1,775) or the Plaza Balcony & Loge ($1,775).

The nicest listed options appear to be the Woodford Reserve Paddock Club & Enclosure and the Spires Terrace & Suites. Neither has a price listed; interested parties must contact the Derby. As with many sporting events, the "cheap" options aren't very cheap and the nicest options can run up to thousands of dollars.

That's just about all you need to know about how much it costs to attend the Kentucky Derby in 2024. Enjoy!

3 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Kentucky Derby 2024 Horses: Full List of Competitors, Odds & More

The 150th Kentucky Derby will be run on Saturday, May 4, at the famous Churchill Downs racecourse. The sesquicentennial celebration is shaping up to be a good one, with a loaded field of competitors backed by the always-high energy surrounding the Louisville race track. It should be a memorable race.

As post time approaches, it is important to take stock of the horses the audience will see on the racetrack and the odds each has to win. Part of what makes the Derby so popular is that there are very few regular competitors. The audience is annually introduced to a new grouping of horses and jockeys. There is comfort in the familiar, true, but there's always something special about the Derby and the horse that gets to capture lightning in the bottle yearly.

Here's what this year's crop looks like.

Kentucky Derby Horses 2024

Below is a full list of the 20 horses (and their morning line odds to win, as of time of publication) participating in this year's Kentucky Derby, as per the event's official website.

Fierceness: 5-2
Sierra Leone: 3-1
Catching Freedom: 8-1
Forever Young: 10-1
Just A Touch: 10-1
Dornoch: 20-1
Honor Marie: 20-1
Just Steel: 20-1
Track Phantom: 20-1
Stronghold: 20-1
Reilience: 20-1
Mystik Dan: 20-1
Catalyic: 30-1
T O Password: 30-1
Endlessly: 30-1
Domestic Product: 30-1
Epic Ride: 30-1
Grand Mo The First: 50-1
Society Man: 50-1
West Saratoga: 50-1

The group features horses with straightforward favorites and other underdogs and great storylines, like West Saratoga, whose trainer is battling cancer.

How Many Horses Race in the Kentucky Derby?

Each year, 20 horses are permitted to run in the Kentucky Derby. It was not always this way, however. The first Kentucky Derby, held 150 years ago, had 15 horses in the field and the number fluctuated from year to year until 1974. That year's Derby featured 23 horses, which prompted criticism from assembled media and the jockeys themselves. From 1974 on, the Derby was capped at 20 horses to ensure the field was competitive without putting too many bodies on the racetrack.

It's also part of what makes the Derby unique. Other major horse races, such as the Preakness and Belmot Stakes, have a maximum of 14 horses participating every year. When the question was raised a few years ago of why the Derby stuck with 20 instead of whittling down the field to match other events of its ilk, the length and popularity of the race was cited by Churchill Downs' senior director of communications, per the Courier-Journal.

In short, the Derby's 1 1/4-mile distance permits there to be more horses on the track, and as the capstone event of the year it can be afforded a larger field.

How Does a Horse Qualify For the Kentucky Derby?

To qualify for the 2024 Kentucky Derby, each horse in the field had to run in a series of designated races, titled The Road to the Kentucky Derby. These races, which number in the dozens, take place all over the world between each Derby. The top five horses in each race are awarded a certain number of points.

At the end of the racing season, the top 20 horses in terms of points totaled throughout the year are awarded a post at the Kentucky Derby.

Now you're primed and ready to engage in the horse racing discourse for this year's Kentucky Derby. Enjoy the race.

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Kentucky Derby Runner-up Jockey Could Face Disciplinary Action After Video Review

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Jimm Sallivan