José Ortiz is working hard to win Saratoga 2025 riding title
Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Jockey José Ortiz is enjoying a career revival. Saturday at Saratoga he won four races, which put him on top of the rider standings with eight victories after the first three days of the summer meet.
Ortiz, 31, began his career in 2012 has won 3,320 races with over $279,518,001 in earnings, according to Equibase. This year he is second in the U.S. and Canada with 177 victories and in money earned with $15,424,964.
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The 2017 Eclipse Award-winning jockey fielded requests for autographs and selfies from racing fans while walking back to the jockey’s room and talking about how he got back to the top of his game.
| Saratoga 2025 | Starts | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| José Ortiz | 19 | 8 | 3 | 1 | $538,270 |
| Irad Ortiz Jr. | 21 | 6 | 4 | 3 | $440,350 |
| Flavien Prat | 19 | 5 | 3 | 3 | $560,895 |
| Dylan Davis | 12 | 2 | 1 | 4 | $289,640 |
| Joel Rosario | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | $211,700 |
| Kendrick Carmouche | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | $173,845 |
| Ricardo Santana Jr. | 15 | 2 | 4 | 1 | $145,135 |
| John Velázquez | 12 | 1 | 4 | 2 | $261,485 |
| Luis Sáez | 14 | 1 | 4 | 2 | $240,285 |
| Manny Franco | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | $89,970 |
| Romero Maragh | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | $63,130 |
| Carlos López | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | $33,000 |
| Source: Equibase |
“I didn’t forget how to ride,” Ortiz said. “I’m just getting better opportunities. You know I’m having a good momentum right now. I’m on a big roll, but obviously I’m receiving great opportunities from the owners and trainers, and I think that’s the main thing. You get good opportunities, and you can show what you can do.”
Ortiz spent the last two springs riding at Churchill Downs instead of staying at Gulfstream Park in Florida or returning for the Belmont at the Big A meeting at Aqueduct. The result was his winning the spring titles for jockeys at Churchill in 2024 and 2025. This year he had 63 victories which were produced by a 24% win rate. Ortiz ran away with the title and had 16 more wins than the second-place Luis Sáez and 24 better than Kentucky regular Brian Hernandez Jr., who was third.
“Obviously I picked up some new clientele like Tom Amoss,” Ortiz said. “I now ride for Mark Casse here, but when I went out there I started by training most of his 2-year-olds. I used to ride for Steve Asmussen a little bit, but when I went down there I started riding more for Asmussen. I have been winning more for him on the daily basis. I think that I’ve been riding for a lot more people. I do a lot of work in the mornings, but I put in the work. Honestly, I’ve been getting great opportunities.”
At Saratoga this summer Ortiz already has two winners for Amoss, one on a 2-year-old filly making her second start and the other in a $100,000 claiming race. For Casse, Ortiz won with a talented juvenile making his second start.
Cherie DeVaux relies on Ortiz in the mornings in Kentucky and Saratoga, and he won one of the two divisions of the De La Rose Stakes on Thursday and then on Lady Eli’s first-time starter Dr. Agne on Friday.
It has been six years since Ortiz won the jockey title at Saratoga. His brother Irad Ortiz Jr. and Sáez were the leaders since.
“I won three times (in 2016, 2017 and 2019), but I would love to win a fourth time,” José Ortiz said with determination in his voice. “Coming up here you shoot to be leading rider. We had a great July 4 weekend (with seven wins to tie Flavien Prat), but that didn’t count (in the summer standings). We have already had a great first three days. Hopefully, we’re going to keep on the role. Honestly, I think I have a very good business and, yeah, I want to win the title, for sure.”