Ky. Derby watch: Will Irad Ortiz get his 1st win with Renegade?
This is the 20th installment of a weekly feature on Horse Racing Nation that tracks Kentucky Derby horses all the way through the first Saturday of May at Churchill Downs.
Fresh off a masterful ride in winning Saturday’s $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap aboard White Abarrio, Irad Ortiz Jr. is riding high as horse racing approaches its most high-profile time of year.
Arguably the best rider in the U.S. for the better part of a decade, the five-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey has one gaping hole in his resume. Ortiz never has won the Kentucky Derby.
The 33-year-old jockey was faced with the difficult decision of which horse to ride in this year’s spring classic after piloting Commandment, Fulleffort, Further Ado and Renegade to impressive prep wins. The bevy of strong mounts is a good problem to have, and in the end Ortiz chose to stay aboard the Arkansas Derby (G1) hero Renegade.
The stretch-running son of Into Mischief is trained by one of the nation’s top trainers, Todd Pletcher. Together, he and Ortiz have teamed up to be a winning combination in countless stakes races. It would be only fitting if Ortiz won his first Kentucky Derby when riding for Pletcher.
Known for his aggressive riding style, Ortiz also loves to save ground with his mounts. It’s a strategy that can spell trouble in the huge Kentucky Derby fields. To date, Ortiz has had nine chances in America’s most prestigious race, and suprisingly, he never has finished in the top three.
He did not make much noise with his first three mounts. Uncle Sigh, My Man Sam and Hofburg all came to Churchill Downs as pretty big long shots on the first Saturday in May and they ran as such, with Hofburg’s late-running seventh-place finish being the best of the bunch.
In 2019 Improbable afforded Ortiz his first big opportunity in the run for the roses. The flashy City Zip colt came into the Derby off a runner-up finish in the Arkansas Derby (G1) and was made the lukewarm 4-1 favorite in a field of 19. Ortiz had him within striking distance throughout, but the Bob Baffert-trained runner lacked closing punch and checked in fifth behind the controversy of Maximum Security and Country House. A year later Ortiz rode Improbable to a Whitney Stakes (G1) win on the way to an Eclipse Award as America’s champion older male.
In 2022, Mo Donegal was the next big Kentucky Derby chance for Ortiz. From the Pletcher barn, the strapping son of Uncle Mo had won the Remsen Stakes (G2) and Wood Memorial (G2) in New York and was the choice of many to take home the roses.
It’s worth noting that Mo Donegal had a similar running style to Renegade. The rally-from-way-back style did no favors for Ortiz and his mount four years ago in the Derby. The extremely wide trip left him with too much to do in the stretch and they checked in fifth.
It’s also worth noting that Mo Donegal drew the rail post position, which also did him no favors. With a much better trip in his next race, Mo Donegal won the Belmont Stakes in convincing style under Ortiz. The dreaded rail draw is something that Pletcher, Ortiz and owner Mike Repole will look to avoid when post positions are drawn next week.
One year later Ortiz looked to have a big chance at his first Kentucky Derby win with the juvenile champion Forte, also for trainer Todd Pletcher. The winner of the Florida Derby (G1) was primed to be the favorite at Churchill Downs but was scratched by Kentucky state veterinarians on the morning of the race because of a minor bruise in his right front foot.
After the scratch, Ortiz picked up the mount on Cyclone Mischief and finished last of 18 on the 29-1 shot for trainer Dale Romans. In 2024, he rode the Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner Domestic Product for trainer Chad Brown and came in 13th with the 24-1 shot. Last year he finished 14th on the maiden Publisher at odds of 33-1 for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Will this be the year and Renegade the horse for Ortiz to earn his first Kentucky Derby victory? The answer could be yes, but only if racing luck is on their side.
Ridden by Ortiz in four of his five career starts, Renegade has made it look easy over his competition in both starts this year. The late runner started his sophomore season off with an eye-catching victory in the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs in early February.
Next came an even more impressive victory when swooping by the field in the Arkansas Derby. Pletcher will have him well prepared for his biggest test yet after closing with a sub-12-second final eighth at Oaklawn.
Improving with each start, Renegade's victory last time out was an impressive show of class and proof that he continues to move forward as a maturing 3-year-old. His talented rider knows him well. If they can avoid the pitfalls of rallying from well back in the Kentucky Derby field, they stand a big chance of finishing strongest of all and winning this year’s classic. The 10th time may be the charm for Irad Ortiz Jr.