ELMONT, N.Y.—
An injury to Irad Ortiz Jr. on Thursday left a lot of trainers scrambling to find a new jockey to ride their horse. But none more than Todd Pletcher, who had the meet’s leading rider on Known Agenda in the Belmont Stakes.
On Saturday morning, Pletcher found his new rider by keeping it in the family. Jose Ortiz, Irad’s younger brother by a year, was named to ride Known Agenda in the 1½-mile race.
Irad Ortiz was injured when his horse took an awkward step and he was unseated. He was then clipped by one of the trailing horses and stayed on the ground for a couple minutes before he was strapped to a backboard and taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital.
He didn’t suffer any serious injuries but can’t immediately return to racing. He was treated and released the same day.
“The doctors wanted him to take at least a week,” Steve Rushing, his agent, told Horse Racing Nation. “He was cleared to ride when he’s able to, but they want him to take time for the stitches to heal to avoid infection.”
None of the horses in the Belmont Stakes will be contending for the Triple Crown, but some of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness favorites will be running.
June 5, 2021
Friday and Saturday had the potential to be big paydays for the jockey. He was scheduled to ride in 13 graded stakes races.
Among Irad Ortiz’s other scheduled Friday rides, Jose Ortiz picked up the mount on Firenze Fire, who won the Grade 2 True North. Using the standard 10% formula, the win was worth $16,500 for the younger Ortiz. Also, on Friday, Chub Wagon scratched from the Grade 3 Bed O’ Roses, Virginia Joy finished fourth in the Grade 2 New York (Flavien Prat replaced and earned $5,000) and Conviction Trade finished seventh in the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup (Jose Ortiz, $266).
On Saturday, in addition to Known Agenda in the Belmont Stakes, Irad Ortiz was supposed to ride Drain the Clock in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens (replaced by Jose Ortiz), Moretti in the Grade 2 Brooklyn (Javier Castellano), Search Results in the Grade 1 Acorn (Castellano), Fast Boat in the Grade 1 Jaipur (John Velazquez), Letruska in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps (Jose Ortiz), Pocket Square (Flavien Prat) in the Grade 1 Just a Game, Mischevious Alex in the Grade 1 Met Mile (Jose Ortiz) and Colonel Liam in the Grade 1 Manhattan (Luis Saez).
FAQs
On Saturday morning, Pletcher found his new rider by keeping it in the family. Jose Ortiz, Irad's younger brother by a year, was named to ride Known Agenda in the 1½-mile race. Irad Ortiz was injured when his horse took an awkward step and he was unseated.
Why was jockey Irad Ortiz suspended? ›
Four-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. was not fined but suspended for careless riding for three racing days (Nov.
Who is Jose Ortiz riding in the Derby? ›
Jose Ortiz will ride Catalytic for the first time in Kentucky Derby 2024, the Churchill Downs media team reported Monday. He'll be the fourth rider in as many starts for the Saffie Joseph Jr.
Who is jockey agent for Irad Ortiz? ›
Steve Rushing has been a successful jockey agent for almost 40 years and during that time the riders he has taken the books for include Hall of Famers Edgar Prado and Ramon Dominguez as well as Rosie Napravnik and Tammi Piermarini. Currently, he represents the Eclipse Award-winning brothers Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Is Jose Ortiz related to Irad Ortiz Jr? ›
Jose and his year-older brother and frequent riding rival, Irad Ortiz Jr., are from Puerto Rico, where they graduated from the Escuela Vocacional Hipica jockey school. Their grandfather and an uncle also were jockeys. Irad Ortiz moved to New York in 2011, and Jose began riding at Parx a year later.
What jockey was suspended for drugs? ›
The BHA has been conducting trials of pre-racing sweat and saliva testing for jockeys since May 2021, but was forced to suspend a previous pilot scheme in September 2022 after Classic-winning rider Sean Levey initially tested positive for an amphetamine before being cleared by a urine test a week later.
Who was the jockey banned for 10 years? ›
Classic-winning rider Eddie Ahern was warned off the sport for ten years after being found guilty of passing on insider information to former Premier League footballer Neil Clement. Ahern was found to have failed to ride Judgethemoment out fully in a race at Lingfield in January 2011.
Who is older Irad Ortiz or Jose Ortiz? ›
Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose's older brother and the leading rider at Gulfstream with 105 wins, will ride the Keeneland meet but following the Kentucky Derby he plans to return to New York. Irad Ortiz also will be in New York to ride at Aqueduct on April 27-28.
How much does the jockey get paid? ›
According to TwinSpires, the jockey of the champion horse at the Kentucky Derby receives about 10 percent of the prize money. For 2024, that means the jockey will receive around $310,000.
Who is Jose Ortiz married to? ›
How much did Irad Ortiz make last year? ›
Ortiz, Jr., reached the winner's circle 366 times from 1,560 mounts in 2023 in establishing a single-season earnings record of $39,192,585, eclipsing the previous record of $37 million he set last year.
How much did Irad Ortiz make? ›
With 3,715 victories under his belt, including 596 stakes races (304 of which were graded), and over $303.5 million in purse earnings (lifetime earnings), Ortiz Jr. has cemented his place as one of the most accomplished jockeys in the sport's history.
Is Jose Ortiz related to Linda Rice? ›
Trainer Linda Rice, who is the aunt of Ortiz's wife, concurred. "He's always been a very good speed rider but in the last year and a half, he's not one dimensional," she said. "He's a top rider period.
Why are the Ortiz brothers suspended at Saratoga? ›
Ortiz recently was suspended three days at Saratoga Race Course for a “careless riding” foul that did result in the disqualification of his mount from a July 27 win.
What ethnicity is John Ortiz? ›
He was born John Augstin Ortiz into a family of Puerto Rican descent in Brooklyn, NY, and grew up in the borough's impoverished Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. He later attended the landmark progressive public secondary institution, John Dewey High School.
What jockey was banned for 6 months? ›
A jockey has been banned for six months after he was caught betting on horse races. Dale Evans, who has ridden nearly 1,000 winners during a 14-year career, faced an inquiry in Queensland, Australia after details of his betting activity were provided to stewards by two leading betting operators.
What jockey was suspended for whipping? ›
A JOCKEY has been banned after she was caught whipping a rival horse over the head in shocking TV footage. Australian rider Alice Lindsay, 30, was officially found guilty of 'improper riding'. But that arguably paints a rosy picture of what cameras caught her doing in a race Down Under.
Which jockey was banned from race? ›
A jockey who was suspended over a controversial ride last year has been issued with an exclusion order which bans him from racing premises. Dylan Kitts was suspended by a judicial panel in July 2023 following his ride on Hillsin, who was third at Worcester.
What happened to the jockey of the king's horse? ›
In June 1913 Emily Wilding Davison ran out in front of the King's horse at the Epsom Derby: she died of her injuries. Her actions are often quoted in history books and whether you think her to be a suffragette martyr or a deluded woman, few are ignorant of her or what she did.
