Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. continued his successful run at the Saratoga Race Course summer meet by capturing five races on Saturday's 11-race program.
“It's great. It's an amazing feeling. We show up every day positive trying to win as many as we can. We had an amazing day today having five winners,” said Ortiz, who leads the meet with 19 wins.
Ortiz, 30, secured the early double, piloting Repole Stable's 2-year-old Noted [Race 1, $3.50*] to a second-out maiden score over the inner turf course for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher before returning to the winner's circle after guiding Paddington [Race 2, $4.70] to an 8 1/2-length score in a nine-furlong starter allowance for 3-year-olds and upward for current meet leading trainer Linda Rice.
He piloted Klaravich Stables' Undervalued Asset [Race 5, $4.50*] to victory in a seven-furlong allowance event for fillies and mares for four-time Eclipse Award winning trainer Chad Brown. One race later, he captured the Grade 3, $200,000 Caress for older fillies and mares going 5 1/2 furlongs over the Mellon turf course aboard the Christophe Clement-trained Roses for Debra [Race 6, $5.50*].
Ortiz teamed up with Klaravich Stables and Brown once more when capping off his five-win day in a six-furlong allowance test for 3-year-olds and upward aboard Accretive [Race 10, $3.70*], who had not run since finishing fifth in last year's Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial at the Spa.
“Sometimes you look at the program and see that you have some live mounts and you might not win any of them or you might win one that you didn't think you had a shot on, but that's the way the game goes. That's the way this business is,” said Ortiz, who rode every race on the card. “We understand that, but today we looked good and thank God every horse today showed up.”
Ortiz spoke volumes of Brown, who he collaborated with to capture four stakes at last year's Saratoga meet.
“He's a very, very good trainer with lots of good horses,” Ortiz said. “He's one of the best and greatest. I ride for a lot of trainers that do a great job, too. I'm just happy and enjoying the moment.”
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