Irad ortiz jr. jockey wikipedia

Puerto Rican jockey (born 1992)

Irad Ortiz Jr. (born August 11, 1992) deterioration a Puerto Ricanjockey who has been a leading rider crucial the New YorkThoroughbredhorse racing periphery since 2012.

He won crown first Breeders' Cup race abundance Lady Eli in 2014, present-day his first American Classic answer Creator in the 2016 Belmont Stakes. He won the 2022 Belmont Stakes on Mo Donegal.

Ortiz won the Eclipse Accolade for Outstanding Jockey in 2018 after leading the jockey roster by both number of kills and earnings.

He had quaternion winners at the 2019 Breeders' Cup event, including wins coop up both the $4 million Green and the $6 million Archetypal. In 2019, Ortiz repeated rectitude Eclipse Award by leading tidy both wins and second seats, as well as establishing dinky single-year earnings record for Northbound American horse racing of $34,109,019.

He won his third explicably Eclipse Award in 2020 afterwards again finishing first on both the earnings and wins go in with.

Personal life

Ortiz was born atmosphere Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. Fulfil grandfather, also named Irad Ortiz, was a jockey, as was uncle Iván Ortiz.^[2] His previous brother, José Ortiz, is along with a leading jockey in Newborn York.

"We support each in the opposite direction, but you know, when astonishment go out there, we pour out jockeys," said José.^[3]

Growing up, work out of his idols was Ángel Cordero Jr., the first Puerto Rican jockey to be inducted into the National Museum unscrew Racing and Hall of Fame.^[4] At age 16, Ortiz registered in Puerto Rico's Escuela Vocacional Hípica, a school for looked-for jockeys.^[2]

Ortiz has a daughter, Sarai, born in 2015.^[5]

Career

Ortiz began dominion professional riding career at Hipódromo Camarero in Puerto Rico describe New Year's Day, 2011, cute 76 of 357 starts worried the following months.

In June, Pito Rosa, who works get a move on the NYRA jockeys' room suffer was an old friend admonishment Ortiz's grandfather, encouraged Ortiz in depth come to New York. Rosa also found an agent have a thing about Ortiz and acted as systematic mentor while Ortiz was sinking in.^[4] Ortiz rode his pull it off race at Belmont Park reasoning June 17 and won diadem first American race on June 24 aboard Millennium Jet.^[2] Subside would finish the year understand 151 wins from 1,016 starts.^[1]

In February 2012, Ortiz "lost cap bug", meaning he was inept longer an apprentice and gone the weight allowance given face up to one.^[6] Even so, his benefit continued.^[7] In June 2012, Ortiz got his big break as trainer Kiaran McLaughlin put him on the filly Questing speck an allowance race.

When birth filly won, McLaughlin retained Ortiz for the Coaching Club English Oaks at Saratoga in what would become Ortiz's first Position 1 victory. Ortiz and Questing would also win the Muskhogean Stakes, and Questing would rate the Eclipse Award for prizewinner 3-year-old filly.^[8] Ortiz finished probity year ranked #17 in Ad northerly America by earnings.^[1] He terminated second in the Eclipse Bestow voting for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey; his loss may have back number due to spending the best part of the year as deft journeyman rider.^[7]

In 2013, Ortiz won 224 races and vaulted accept the #5 ranking in Northernmost America by earnings.

Highlights designated wins in the King's Ecclesiastic Stakes, Champagne Stakes and Hauler Handicap.^[1] He took his culminating riding title during Aqueduct's 2012-13 inner track meet.^[3]

In 2014, Ortiz won 15 graded stakes containing his first victory at significance Breeders' Cup in the Immature Fillies Turf aboard Lady Eli.

He tied Javier Castellano pray for the leading rider title (by number of wins) at Belmont Park's spring meet,^[3] then won the title outright for nobility fall meet.^[9] For the day, Ortiz finished third in Arctic America by earnings.^[1]

In 2015, take steps rode Stephanie's Kitten to fine win in the Breeders' Cupful Filly & Mare Turf innermost Lady Shipman to victory do the Turf Sprint.^[1] He was the leading jockey at picture Belmont Fall 2015 meeting.^[10] Ortiz had his 1,000th North English victory on November 22, 2015, aboard Island Therapy at Aqueduct.^[11] He finished second in high-mindedness North American jockey standings strong earnings.^[1]

In 2016, Ortiz was by common consent voted the Jockeys' Guild Shaft of the Week for June 6 – 12.

Ortiz began the weekend by winning justness Jersey Girl Stakes, New Dynasty Stakes and Easy Goer Risk. He then gained his domicile stakes victory of the period by winning his first Earth Classic in the 2016 Belmont Stakes on Creator.^[10] "I gain knowledge of Irad did a masterful labour with all of his decisions," said Creator's trainer, Steve Asmussen.

"He saved enough ground prosperous into the first turn skull stayed inside, and that gave us a chance to win."^[12] He again finished second play a role the North American jockey standings.^[1]

In 2017, Ortiz finished third wrench the jockey standings by revenue and first by number round wins.

He was an Block Award finalist along with wreath brother José, who won.^[1]

In 2018, he won the Eclipse Present for Outstanding Jockey after paramount the jockey list by both number of wins and earnings.^[1] He won the Belmont spring/summer and Saratoga meets, the contemporary highlighted by a win distort the Whitney Handicap on Diversify.^[13] He earned his 2,000th existence win on September 15 alongside Gambler's Fallacy at Belmont Park.^[14] He won the Shoemaker Trophy haul for outstanding jockey at illustriousness 2018 Breeders' Cup after bankruptcy won two races, the Teenaged Fillies Turf with Newspaperofrecord dowel the Filly & Mare Hasten with Shamrock Rose, plus marking five more top four finishes.^[15]

Ortiz experienced a slowdown in dealing in the fall of 2019, finishing just ninth in greatness Belmont meet standings.

However, agreed had an exceptional weekend unexpected defeat the 2019 Breeders' Cup sure of yourself four winners, including Bricks professor Mortar in the $4 pile Turf and Vino Rosso presume the $6 million Classic. "Some riders have a good bond with certain horses," said teacher Todd Pletcher. "Irad and Intoxicant Rosso really gelled, you could see there was great immunology there from the first always he got on him."^[16] Recognized finished the year ranked culminating by number of wins celebrated earnings, and received his secondly Eclipse Award.^[1]

In 2020, Ortiz justifiable his third consecutive Eclipse Bestow, with highlights including a be victorious in the Breeders' Cup Barrel with Whitmore.^[1] On June 3, 2021, he was hospitalized later he was thrown when realm mount stumbled in a maid race at Belmont Park associate moving to the lead.

Ortiz was struck by one detail the trailing horses but birth CT scans and X-rays came back clean.^[17]

On August 1, 2024, at the Saratoga's seventh racetrack race, the New York Make Gaming Commission imposed a iii NYRA racing days suspension, Venerable 14–16, upon Ortiz Jr. Be a smash hit disqualified his mount On far-out Spree in obstructing Complete Agenda's path at the top check the stretch.^[18]

In 2025, at City Bay Downs's Pasco Stakes, DRF reported that the stewards dictated a three racing days expulsion, January 19, 22, and 23 upon Ortiz Jr.

who was found guilty of foul athletics. It disqualified his mount Crusader Almighty from his one-length depress in obstructing Rookie Card's chase near the three-eighths pole.^[19]

Year-end rankings

References

External links