Up-and-coming Ortiz vies to 'outdo' his Oaklawn Park accomplishments
Trainer Johnny Ortiz’s goal for the 2019 Oaklawn meeting was 15 victories. Although Ortiz finished with 14 victories, they still represented a personal best in Hot Springs, Ark., and placed him ninth in the meet standings.
“I don’t want to necessarily say a number for wins, but you always want to outdo what you did the year before,” Ortiz said this week when discussing the outlook for 2020. “What I think topped our goals last year was that we hit the board. We were in the standings at the end of the meet. To me, I think that was a huge accomplishment. There’s nothing I want more than to redo that and maybe even do better.”
Led by two-time winner Honey Bunny, a hard-hitting older female sprinter, Ortiz’s runners bankrolled $467,422 in purses last year at Oaklawn, another personal best in Hot Springs. Honey Bunny became a Grade 3 winner after leaving Oaklawn and sold for $300,000 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. On behalf of major clients Hooties Racing LLC (Brian “Hootie” Moore of Fayetteville, Ark.), WSS Racing, LLC (William Simon) and Brent Gasaway of Little Rock, Ark., Ortiz claimed Honey Bunny for $16,000 at the 2018 Oaklawn meeting.
Ortiz’s 22-horse Oaklawn string this year is headed by older female sprinter Pretty Greeley, a similar rags-to-riches story. Pretty Greeley was an allowance/optional claiming winner last February in Hot Springs before capturing the $50,000 Wilma Mankiller Stakes in April at Will Rogers Downs. In her final two starts of 2019, Pretty Greeley ran third in the $120,000 Dream Supreme Stakes Nov. 1 at Churchill Downs and third in the $100,000 Sugar Swirl Stakes (G3) Dec. 14 at Gulfstream Park.
Again on behalf of Hooties, WSS Racing, and Gasaway, Ortiz claimed Pretty Greeley for $16,000 in 2018 at Oaklawn. The 7-year-old daughter of Greeley’s Conquest has subsequently earned roughly $250,000.
“We’re looking for another stakes race, the sprint series here, and then will look to retire her after a successful Oaklawn meet,” Ortiz said. “We did so well with Honey Bunny. We were able to sell her for some high (dollars). I think we made about $600,000 with her after you think about the sale and everything. We were happy with her. Glad to retire her. That’s actually more satisfying, being able to see her go through the ring and know that she’s going to become a broodmare. To me, that’s a big accomplishment in my barn.”
Ortiz said he’s also looking at local black-type events for Cairenn, a $180,000 purchase by WSS Racing at the 2019 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. In her first start for Simon, a former Walmart executive who has a home in Rogers, Ark., Cairenn finished third in the $100,000 Rampart Stakes (G3) Dec. 14 at Gulfstream Park. The 6-year-old stakes-winning mare is by First Dude.
“I’m pointing her for a couple of stakes races over here,” Ortiz said. “We haven’t decided if we want to go short with her or keep stretching her out.”
New owners Ortiz said he added in 2019 included Lewis Mathews of Bismarck, Ark., Sandra Sexton, and Randy Patterson. Mathews is best known for campaigning millionaire Oaklawn stakes winner Ivan Fallunovalot. Sexton, in partnership, bred and raced Oaklawn stakes winner Red Ruby. Patterson, heavily involved in the Arkansas breeding program, has campaigned, among others, millionaire Grade 1 winner Moonshine Mullin and Oaklawn stakes winners Kate’s Main Man and Maize Road.
“We’re slowly picking up more quality and better clients as well,” Ortiz said.
A former assistant to Kellyn Gorder, Ortiz, 33, started his first horse in 2016. His runners earned a career-high $1,846,552 in purses last year. Ortiz won eight races in 2017 at Oaklawn and nine in 2018. Ortiz also has a 14-horse string at Fair Grounds.