Three-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. could be out three to four weeks as a result of a knee injury suffered in a starting gate incident on Jan. 7 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee reported.
Ortiz suffered a small fracture to his knee, the jockey's agent, Steve Rushing, told McGee on Tuesday.
Ortiz injured the knee on Jan. 7 when his mount, Shea On a Mission, was fractious in the starting gate prior to the eighth race at Gulfstream Park. Shea On a Mission, a 4-year-old Mission Impazible filly with four previous starts, was scratched from the race.
Ortiz took off his two remaining mounts on the Jan. 7 program but thought he would be able to ride the Jan. 8-9 programs at Gulfstream. He scratched from those mounts the next morning after the pain did not subside, but expected to be back riding on Jan. 12. Those hopes were dashed when the fracture was discovered.
If he is sidelined three weeks, the injury could be a costly one for Ortiz, who was expected to be named to ride Life Is Good in the $3 million, Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational and defending champion Colonel Liam in the $1 million, G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf – both on Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park. Ortiz rode Life Is Good to victory in his last start in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and was aboard Colonel Liam in the 2021 Pegasus Turf.
Winner of the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey in 2018, '19 and '20, Ortiz was the runaway leader in the jockey standings at the 2020-'21 championship meet at Gulfstream Park. He finished second behind Joel Rosario in North American earnings in 2021, with $29,274,435.
The gate incident came one day after Ortiz returned from a 30-day suspension for careless riding at Aqueduct.
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