José Ortiz embraces his new life and career in Kentucky

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

As jockey José Ortiz reminds Saratoga fans of his ability to ride at a high level, they are left with one huge question. Why did he make the uncommon decision to take his family and what had been a booming business to Kentucky for most of the year?

The answer says much about Ortiz’s priorities, not to mention racing’s changing landscape.

“It’s not easy when you are doing good in one place like New York to make the move,” acknowledged Ortiz, 30. “It’s not easy to move, but I was willing to give up a little to be happy with my family and my wife.”

Ortiz and his wife, Taylor, have three children, Leilani, 7; Derek, 5; and Nikolai, 3. Taylor, a former jockey, wants her husband to be as successful as he always has been. She is confident he will continue to flourish.

“Looking at all of the pieces, everything that kept us in New York was, honestly, the purse money was always the best,” Taylor said. “That’s not the case anymore, so you can make a pretty good case for this move.”

Kentucky purses have grown considerably, buoyed by historical horse racing. Ortiz pointed to that as a major factor. “The purses are huge,” he noted. “It really helped a lot with my decision.”

At Churchill Downs’ nine-week spring meet, a record $58 million was paid in purses. Purses averaged $1.4 million daily and $139,000 per race.

Ortiz and his wife understand how fleeting a jockey’s career can be, how quickly it can end and how important it is to maximize his earnings while he is riding high. It used to be that New York was the place to be in every way.

“Even five years ago, this would have been unheard of for someone to just up and switch,” Taylor said.

The Ortizes are hardly alone in their willingness to leave New York. They observed the elements that have contributed to a decline in the state’s population.

“New York is making it so hard to do business,” Taylor said. “Life in New York is just more expensive overall and more expensive than Kentucky for sure.”

Ortiz emerged as New York’s leading rider in 2016, 2020 and 2021. He has topped the jockey standings at Saratoga three times, in 2016, 2017 and 2019. He and his more accomplished brother, Irad, share the same agent in Steve Rushing. Ortiz said Rushing’s willingness to continue to work on his behalf was a key element in the decision to move.

“If he wasn’t on board, I don’t want to go without him,” Ortiz said. “I appreciate it that he didn’t hesitate. He said, ‘Whatever you decide, I’ll be there for you.’ ”

As highly regarded as Rushing is, the questions that remained were how well Ortiz would be received by Kentucky horsemen and whether New York trainers would welcome him back when he returned to Saratoga for its 40-day summer meet.

Those concerns were quickly allayed. Ortiz, who always has prided himself on his work ethic, tied with Tyler Gaffalione for riding honors at Churchill Downs’s spring meet with 45 wins apiece.

“I worked very hard in the mornings and, thankfully, I got opportunities and made the most of them,” he said.

As for his fortunes in Saratoga, he is doing almost as well as ever. As of July 30, he was tied with Manny Franco for fourth overall with 12 wins each. They trailed Flavien Prat, who had 19 wins, Irad Ortiz with 18 and Gaffalione with 13. Ortiz had won 12 of 69 starts, a 17 percent clip. His mounts had cracked the top three 42 percent of the time.

Ortiz continues to chase his first Kentucky Derby triumph. He is setting the bar as high as he ever has. “Obviously, the main goal is to get into the Hall of Fame,” he said. “Right now, the short-term goal is trying to find good 2-year-olds to win the Derby and to win Eclipse Awards. It’s not easy. It’s very hard.”

Taylor grew up on a farm in Ocala, Fla. She and her husband are delighted that their children can be exposed to that tranquil environment.

“The lifestyle, the things I want to do with my children, are much more accessible for us in Kentucky,” Taylor said. “I wasn’t a city girl. Raising our kids on a farm in Kentucky is much more to my taste.”

She is grateful that her husband’s focus is not limited to the track. “It is great to feel that we are a top priority. It isn’t just riding and what’s best for his career,” she said. “If we can make the best of both worlds, why not do that?”

Ortiz is proud of the way he embraced a fresh start. “It’s something new. You challenge yourself to grow into a new place,” he said, mindful that a Derby winner can come from anywhere.