Saratoga jocks: Ortiz brothers lead, Irad on dirt, Jose on turf
The 2025 Saratoga meet is just a couple of weeks old, but to no surprise, brothers Irad Ortiz Jr. and Jose Ortiz lead the way.
In fact, the Ortiz brothers are dominating at the Spa, with Irad winning 17 of 54 starts, or 31.5%, and Jose not far behind with 15 wins from 59 starts, or 25.4%, helping them generate Horse Racing Nation impact ratings of 48.7% and 20.8%, respectively.
Four riders are a tied for a distant third with seven wins each. Of that group, Joel Rosario has the highest win percentage at 19.4%, and his HRN impact percentage stands at a strong 44.4%.
| Jockey | Starts | Wins | Win % | HRN Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irad Ortiz Jr. | 54 | 17 | 31.5% | 48.7% |
| Jose Ortiz | 59 | 15 | 25.4% | 20.8% |
| Flavien Prat | 51 | 7 | 13.7% | -37.7% |
| Ricardo Santana Jr. | 49 | 7 | 14.3% | 22.5% |
| Luis Saez | 41 | 7 | 17.1% | 19.7% |
| Joel Rosario | 36 | 7 | 19.4% | 44.4% |
| Kendrick Carmouche | 39 | 6 | 15.4% | 14.9% |
| Manuel Franco | 47 | 4 | 8.5% | -42.3% |
| Jose Lezcano | 34 | 4 | 11.8% | -11.4% |
| Dylan Davis | 39 | 3 | 7.7% | -42.6% |
Top riders dominant on main track
On Saratoga's main track, Irad Ortiz Jr. has found the winner's circle at an impressive 37.5% rate, and his HRN impact score is a huge 81%, meaning he's winning almost twice as often as his odds would predict.
Behind him, three other riders are winning at 20% or better. Joel Rosario is winning 25% on only 16 main-track mounts, but his HRN impact is a strong 74.6%. Irad's brother Jose checks in at 23.8%, and Kendrick Carmouche is winning at 23.1% with a healthy HRN impact of 41.9%.
Looking at the standings on the dirt, several riders have struggled so far, including Dylan Davis and Christopher Elliott.
| Jockey | Dirt Starts | Wins | Win % | HRN Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irad Ortiz Jr. | 32 | 12 | 37.5% | 81.0% |
| Jose Ortiz | 42 | 10 | 23.8% | 10.1% |
| Joel Rosario | 16 | 4 | 25.0% | 74.6% |
| Kendrick Carmouche | 26 | 6 | 23.1% | 41.9% |
| Flavien Prat | 30 | 5 | 16.7% | -25.4% |
| Ricardo Santana, Jr. | 30 | 4 | 13.3% | 10.4% |
| Luis Saez | 22 | 4 | 18.2% | 10.9% |
| Jose Lezcano | 21 | 3 | 14.3% | -5.6% |
| Junior Alvarado | 18 | 2 | 11.1% | -38.5% |
| Manuel Franco | 28 | 2 | 7.1% | -51.9% |
| John Velazquez | 11 | 1 | 9.1% | -37.7% |
| Romero Maragh | 7 | 1 | 14.3% | 21.2% |
| Dylan Davis | 21 | 1 | 4.8% | -64.9% |
| Jose Gomez | 7 | 1 | 14.3% | 169.7% |
| Carlos Lopez | 1 | 1 | 100.0% | 590.5% |
| Christopher Elliott | 19 | 0 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| Javier Castellano | 7 | 0 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| Katie Davis | 8 | 0 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| Lane Luzzi | 11 | 0 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| Eric Cancel | 7 | 0 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
Jose Ortiz rolling on Saratoga turf
Jose Ortiz has been rolling on the turf with five wins from 17 starts for a 29.4% win rate. His performance on grass is netting an HRN impact score of 49.9%, meaning he's winning about 50 percent more races than he should according to his odds.
His brother Irad isn't far behind, checking in at 22.7% so far on the turf. Notably top rider Flavien Prat has won only two of 21 so far on the lawn, for an uncharacteristic 9.5% win percentage and an HRN impact score of -55.9%.
| Jockey | Turf Starts | Wins | Win % | HRN Impact % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jose L. Ortiz | 17 | 5 | 29.4% | 49.9% |
| Irad Ortiz Jr. | 22 | 5 | 22.7% | 4.1% |
| Joel Rosario | 20 | 3 | 15.0% | 17.4% |
| Luis Saez | 19 | 3 | 15.8% | 33.8% |
| Ricardo Santana Jr. | 19 | 3 | 15.8% | 43.6% |
| Flavien Prat | 21 | 2 | 9.5% | -55.9% |
| Manuel Franco | 19 | 2 | 10.5% | -28.0% |
| Dylan Davis | 18 | 2 | 11.1% | -15.9% |
| Christopher Elliott | 9 | 1 | 11.1% | 51.7% |
| Junior Alvarado | 15 | 1 | 6.7% | -37.3% |
| John Velazquez | 13 | 1 | 7.7% | -31.3% |
| Jose Lezcano | 13 | 1 | 7.7% | -25.0% |
| Victor Espinoza | 5 | 1 | 20.0% | 44.2% |
| Lanfranco Dettori | 4 | 1 | 25.0% | 83.9% |
| Luis Rivera, Jr. | 3 | 1 | 33.3% | 1060.5% |
| Paco Lopez | 2 | 1 | 50.0% | 252.9% |
| Shaun Bridgmohan | 3 | 1 | 33.3% | 143.5% |
| Kendrick Carmouche | 13 | 0 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| Javier Castellano | 10 | 0 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| Katie Davis | 9 | 0 | 0.0% | -100.0% |