Jockey Ortiz Jr. 'enjoying the moment' of a career-best run
Eclipse Award champion Irad Ortiz Jr. continued his recent hot hand by riding four winners Friday at Gulfstream Park, including his 100th of the 2018-2019 Championship Meet.
The 26-year-old native of Puerto Rico hit the seasonal milestone with 1-2 favorite Matzo Bella ($3) in the Race 6, a five-furlong turf sprint for maiden 3-year-old fillies. He also took Race 3 aboard 4-5 top choice Battle of Memphis ($3.80), Race 7 on 9-5 favorite Livin a Dream ($5.80) and Race 11 on 7-5 betting choice Mo’s Ride ($4.80).
“It feels great. We’re doing so good right now,” Ortiz said. “My agent [Jay Rushing] does a great job and the owners and trainers help me a lot. They give me a lot of chances, so I just enjoy and do the best I can.”
Ortiz has registered 30 wins over the past nine racing days to overtake two-time defending champion Luis Saez as the meet’s leading rider. Ortiz, who accepted his first career Eclipse in last month’s ceremony at Gulfstream, now has put together nine consecutive multi-win days, including a six-win afternoon Feb. 18.
“It’s been very hot the last couple weeks. I’m so blessed right now,” Ortiz said. “I don’t think I’ve ever done this before, to be on that kind of roll. I’m just enjoying the moment and I’m so happy.”
In 2017-18, his first full winter at Gulfstream, Ortiz ranked second in both wins (101) and purses ($4.8 million), and became just the fourth rider in track history to reach 100 wins following Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, Paco Lopez and Saez. Winner of a meet-record 137 races last winter, Saez has been out serving a pair of unrelated five-day suspensions.
Ortiz now holds a 102-84 lead over Saez in the jockey standings, and also ranks first with more than $6.7 million in purse earnings.