Jockey Jose Ortiz's longstanding relationship with agent Jimmy Riccio, Jr. has come to an end, reports bloodhorse.com. Ortiz will be represented by Steve Rushing, who also represents his brother, Irad Ortiz, Jr., beginning with the Aug. 17 card at Saratoga.
“I've been thinking about this for a while. My business is not what it used to be, and I felt it was a good time to make a change,” Jose Ortiz told bloodhorse.com. “It's never easy to do something like this. I've been with Jimmy a long time, and he's been great. We've done a lot of great things together, and I appreciate all of the things he did for me. But I felt I needed to make a change.”
Jose Ortiz and Riccio had been a partnership since the younger Ortiz brother began riding in the United States in 2012. Ortiz, 28, won the Eclipse Award as Outstanding Jockey in 2017, has won two Triple Crown and five Breeders' Cup races, and is currently fourth in the standings at Saratoga.
“I was shocked and disappointed,” Riccio told bloodhorse.com. “We did some great things together, but I know nothing is promised in life.”
Read more at bloodhorse.com.
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