![]() At the 2020 Breeders’ Cup, Ortiz executed a perfect ground-saving ride aboard Whitmore to upset the Sprint (G1) at odds of 18-1, after which he guided Improbable to a runner-up effort in the 1 1/4-mile Classic. Ortiz at KeenelandĪlthough Ortiz wins at just a 15% rate over the Keeneland main track, his 10 victories since 2016 include a few lucrative prizes. In 2021, Ortiz picked up his first Florida Derby win aboard stretch-running Known Agenda, and Ortiz will reunite with the chestnut colt on Kentucky Derby Day. He’s won more races than any other rider at the last three Championship Meets, most notably guiding Mucho Gusto to a dominant victory in the 2020 Pegasus World Cup (G1). With a 251-for-1,015 (25%) record over the main track since 2016, Ortiz has been a force to reckon with at Gulfstream Park. His lone victory came in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight, though on the bright side, 63% of Ortiz’s dirt mounts have finished in the money. Ortiz at Fair GroundsĪlthough Ortiz has gone 4-for-7 (57%) over the Fair Grounds turf course since 2016, he hasn’t enjoyed the same level of success riding the main track, compiling a 1-for-8 (13%) resume. Still, it’s worth noting Ortiz has fared better over the Churchill Downs turf course, where he strikes at a 19% rate. At the 2018 Breeders’ Cup, Ortiz guided 25-1 longshot Shamrock Rose to an upset victory in the Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) before tackling the Kentucky Derby distance in the Classic (G1), where he rode 30-1 shot Gunnevera to a game runner-up effort. But that may be explained by the fact Ortiz tends to ride Churchill only on big days, when the competition is tougher. Ortiz’s win rate over the Churchill Downs main track is a bit lower than one might expect, coming in at 13% from 40 rides. (G1) and Gazelle (G3) to his graded stakes tally. But Ortiz elevated his game to an even higher level at the recently concluded spring meet, going 11-for-26 (42%) over the main track while adding the Carter H. Winner of seven meet titles at Aqueduct since 2012, Ortiz has won a bevy of stakes there, including the 2016 Gotham (G3) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Yet Ortiz has managed to win 309 of his 1,187 rides at Aqueduct since 2016, producing a stellar 26% win rate. The more races a jockey rides, the harder it is to maintain a lofty win percentage. Ortiz is widely praised for his skill riding turf horses, but since the Kentucky Derby takes place on dirt, let’s review Ortiz’s record from 2016 onward in non-turf races at tracks that host multiple Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races: Ortiz at Aqueduct But 2021 will mark his best chance at victory to date, as Ortiz will partner with Florida Derby (G1) winner Known Agenda, who figures to be one of the main choices in the betting. The Kentucky Derby (G1) has proven elusive Ortiz hasn’t cracked the trifecta from four rides in the Run for the Roses. One by one, Ortiz is adding North America’s richest races to his roster of major wins. In 2019, Ortiz became the first rider to win more than $30 million in a single year, pushing his final tally to $34,109,019. He’s guided several champions to career-defining victories, including Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar. Indeed, Ortiz has led the nation by earnings every year since 2018, and by wins in every year since 2017. 178 graded stakes wins… 53 Grade 1 wins… 11 Breeders’ Cup triumphs… a victory in the Belmont (G1)… more than $20 million in earnings every year since 2014… at least 300 winners every year since 2015… The first decade of his career produced an extraordinary array of highlights. It’s hard to believe the 28-year-old from Puerto Rico has only been riding since 2011, first in his homeland and shortly thereafter in the mainland United States. The raw statistics paint a vivid picture of Ortiz’s dominance. There’s a reason why Irad Ortiz has won three consecutive Eclipse Awards for outstanding jockey.
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