Daughter of Awesome Slew Becomes Millionaire
BY BROCK SHERIDAN
R Disaster became a Grade 1-winner and went over the million-dollar mark in earnings with a decisive victory in the $923,000 Derby City Distaff presented by Ford at Churchill Downs Saturday. Confidently ridden in the wire-to-wire victory by Tyler Gaffalione, R Disaster was a two-and-quarter-length winner against four other fillies and mare, 4-years-old and older, going seven furlongs.
The 4-year-old Florida-bred daughter of Ocala Stud’s Awesome Slew launched from the outside post five and promptly put daylight on multiple Grade 1-winner and even-money favorite Splendora, who was riding a five-race winning streak into the Derby City Distaff, as Usha gave chase in third on the rail. R Disaster maintained a length margin through a quarter mile in :22.77 before Splendora got to within a half length after a half mile in :45.05 when 9-5 second choice Ways and Means also began to advance while three wide.
R Disaster came off the turn and sprinted away again as Ways and Means took second and Splendor surrendered to Usha in third. Gaffalione cued R Disaster again a furlong out and she departed her rivals to win in 1:20.94, just a half-second off the track record of 1:20.44 set by Groupie Doll in the Humana Distaff (G1) four years earlier on Derby day.
Ways and Means was second, a length-and-three-quarters ahead of Usha in third. Splendora and Autumn Evening finished fourth and fifth respectively. Haulin Ice was scratched.
“This filly came here ready to run today,” Gaffalione said. “As soon as the gate popped open, she broke alertly, I was able to put my hands down and let her find her stride. She was traveling so easy that I knew she was going to be able to find another gear. The rest of horses weren’t much of a threat.”
Trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. for Richard Averill’s Averill Racing in Bradenton, Florida and Anthony Mattera’s ATM Racing based in Palm City, Florida, R Disaster paid $16.26 to win.
It was the second graded stakes victory in three starts this year for R Disaster, who took the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie at Gulfstream Park on March 7. She earned $558,000 to increase her career bankroll to $1,327,015, becoming the 191st Florida-bred millionaire. R Disaster has now won nine of 16 career starts with six seconds. Her only finish out of the top two came last out when third in the Grade 1 Resolute Racing Madison Stakes at Keeneland on April 4.
“She ran her race last time in the Madison,” Joseph said. “The pace was extremely fast last time – faster than we would have liked. We didn’t originally intend to come back in this race, but she bounced out of her last work very well. So, we decided to enter and see what happens. We knew there were some Grade I-caliber fillies in this race, but she was doing so well. Tyler gave her the perfect ride today.”
In 2025, R Disaster counted among her stakes victories the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom during the Belmont at Big A meet in September and the $96,000 Rehoboth at Delaware Park in May. She was crowned the year’s Florida-bred Champion Older Mare and Florida-bred Champion Female Sprinter by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association at their annual awards gala on April 20.
She has two wins and a second at Churchill Downs where she broke her maiden by nearly seven lengths in August of 2024 and was second by just a head in last year’s $287,000 Dream Supreme (Listed) in November.
R Disaster is out of Making Havoc, by Gottcha Gold and was bred in Florida by Ocala Stud and J. Michael O’Farrell Jr. Florida-bred Making Havoc is a half-sister Grade 3-placed stakes-winner R Adios Jersey and has two starters, both winners, from five foals. She has an unraced 2-year-old filly, R One Way, by Ocala Stud’s freshman sire Colonel Liam; and a weanling colt by Colonel Liam.
Return to the May 2 issue of Wire to Wire
