irad ortiz jr | Horse Racing Free Tips

Weekly Stewards and Commissions Rulings, May 16-22

Every week, the TDN publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky.

Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where.

With the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) having gone into effect on July 1, 2022, the TDN will also post a roundup of the relevant HISA-related rulings from the same week.

New York

Track: Belmont Park

Date: 05/21/2023

Licensee: Caitlin Owen, racing official

Penalty: $1,000 fine

Violation: Failure to tend to business in a “proper manner”

Explainer: Racing Official Dr. Caitlin Owen is hereby fined the sum of one thousand ($1,000) dollars for failing to tend to business in a proper manner necessitating a scratch in the 8th race at Belmont park on May 21st 2023. The TDN has asked for clarification on the issue and will update as needed.

Kentucky

Track: Churchill Downs

Date: 05/18/2023

Licensee: Irad Ortiz, Jr., jockey

Penalty: $1,000 fine

Violation: Wearing unapproved promotional materials

Explainer: After waiving his right to a formal hearing before the Board of Stewards, Irad Ortiz, Jr. is hereby fined $1,000 for failure to comply with the regulation that governs advertising by wearing promotional materials in race 11 at Churchill Downs on May 6, 2023, without written approval. Upon receipt of this ruling, the licensee is required within thirty (30) days to pay any and all fines imposed to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Failure to do so will subject the licensee to a summary Suspension of license pursuant to 810 KAR 3:020 Section 15 (CC).

NEW HISA STEWARDS RULINGS

The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal, except for the voided claim rulings which were sent to the TDN directly. Some of these rulings are from prior weeks as they were not reported contemporaneously.

One important note: HISA's whip use limit is restricted to six strikes during a race.

Violations of Crop Rule

Finger Lakes

Carlos Damian Camilo – violation date May 16; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes

Horseshoe Indianapolis

Joe Ramos – violation date May 16; $100 fine, “raising his wrist above his helmet when striking his mount”

Hannah Leahey – violation date May 18; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 7 strikes

Prairie Meadows

Cindy Sue Murphy – violation date May 20; $250 fine and one-day suspension, “excessive whipping”

Presque Isle Downs

Walber Alencar – violation date May 16; $250 fine and one-day suspension, 8 strikes

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Blazing Sevens Sharp in Final Pre-Preakness Work

Rodeo Creek Racing's GISW Blazing Sevens (Good Magic) breezed five furlongs over the Belmont main track in his final serious move ahead of the May 20 GI Preakness S. at Pimlico Saturday. Blazing Sevens, who visited the track following the renovation break around 9:00 a.m., worked in company with stakes-winning stablemate Artorius [1:00.18], completing the trip in 1:00.02 over the fast main track.

Blazing Sevens was accompanied by Irad Ortiz, Jr. who also rode the Chad Brown trainee in his latest start, a third-place finish in the Apr. 8 GI Blue Grass at Keeneland.

“It went perfect. He was within himself. He's fit and happy,” said Ortiz, Jr., who will be riding the colt for only the second time next week. “I've never worked him before, but he worked like a nice horse. Nice and easy. I don't move on him. The track is maybe a little fast, but he worked one minute nicely.”

Added trainer Chad Brown, “The horse did super. I was really pleased with the work.”

The colt is expected to ship to Pimlico Sunday morning.

Winner in a sloppy renewal of the GI Champagne at Aqueduct last fall, Blazing Sevens completed his 2-year-old season with a fourth-place effort in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Keeneland. He was a distant eighth in his seasonal debut in Gulfstream's GII Fountain of Youth S. in March.

Targeted for the Preakness, the colt will try to give his trainer a third win in the second jewel of the Triple Crown behind winners Cloud Computing [2017] and Early Voting [2022]. The last trainer to score two straight Preakness wins was Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who did so with Point Given [2001] and War Emblem [2002].

“It's always been decided on an individual horse basis. With [Cloud Computing and Early Voting] it worked. This horse seemed to fit the category a bit,” Brown said. “This horse has raced a lot more at age two than those other two, so he's been battle tested. When he threw a big clunker in the Fountain of Youth and didn't do any running, it really set me back fitness wise and I was just trying to play catch up at that point getting into the Derby. I have no regrets sitting the Derby out the way it unfolded. I think this is the right decision for this particular horse at this point in time.”

Looking back at the colt's credible Blue Grass finish, Brown added, “He got a bit of a wide trip. I just wanted him to stay out of trouble. He had to circle horses and he really got tired coming around those horses on the turn. For all practical purposes, it was his first start of the year. He did no running at Gulfstream, so he had a right to get a bit tired. That's another reason I didn't want to go back in four weeks to the Derby. As you can see today, he's a horse with a full tank of gas and he's doing as well as he's ever done. I'm just trying to put the horse in the best position to be successful.”

Ortiz Jr. previously finished second in the 2021 Preakness and is hopeful that Blazing Sevens can go one better this season.

“I'm confident with my horse,” Ortiz, Jr. said. “He's pointing to get ready for that race and I think I have a little advantage. He's fresh and pointing straight to that race and can give me 100 percent. The other horses have had to recover. Hopefully, he can get the job done Saturday.”

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In Italian Goes Coast to Coast in Keeneland’s Jenny Wiley

Peter Brant's In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {GB}), last seen finishing second in the Nov. 5 GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf, returned to the races with a dominant wire-to-wire victory in the GI Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland Saturday. Sent off the 3-5 favorite for her 5-year-old debut, the chestnut mare bound out to the early lead and was in control through fractions of :23.63 and :47.29. Asked to go by Irad Ortiz at the top of the lane, she extended her advantage in the blink of an eye and she was never challenged to the wire.

“She's been a nice filly all the time,” said Ortiz. “She broke quick out of the gate and then she relaxed. Her ears were up. She does that all the time. I was confident. The trainer told me just to go to the lead. She broke so good, I tried to relax her going into the first turn, and she switched off. That was key. After that, on the backside if somebody gets close to her, I can let her do her thing, because I know I have plenty in the tank. She was nice. She deserves all the credit. She got the job done.”

The victory gave trainer Chad Brown his sixth win and Brant his third in the Wiley.

“She's a wonderful mare,” said Brant. “She's been good from the very beginning, and we're very proud to have her. She's going to be a great broodmare for us. We're so excited; to win this race this number of times has been a great thrill for us. This is one of the most important filly-and-mare races, and it's just a great honor to win this race.”

In Italian, who has never been off the board in now 10 lifetime starts, was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following her maiden victory at Belmont in 2021, but it would be another eight months before she returned to the races. She made up for lost time in 2022, with wins in the GIII Honey Fox S., GI Diana S. and GI First Lady S. She attempted to stretch her speed to the F/M Turf's 1 3/16 miles and found only Tuesday (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) too good over the Keeneland turf last November.

Pedigree Notes:

In Italian's group-winning dam Florentina has an unraced 4-year-old gelding by Kingman (GB) in the UK and a filly by that sire foaled in Australia in 2020. The 15-year-old mare, a half to Group 1 winner Gathering (Aus) (Tale of the Cat), was barren to Yes Yes Yes (Aus) the past two seasons. She was bred to So You Think (NZ) last October.

JENNY WILEY S.-GI, $511,125, Keeneland, 4-15, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:39.71, fm.
1–IN ITALIAN (GB), 123, m, 5, by Dubawi (Ire)
            1st Dam: Florentina (Aus) (GSW-Aus, $250,958), by Redoute's Choice (Aus)
            2nd Dam: Celebria (Aus), by Peintre Celebre
            3rd Dam: Twyla (Aus), by Danehill
(475,000gns Ylg '19 TATOCT). O-Peter M. Brant; B-Fairway
Thoroughbreds (GB); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr..
$306,125. Lifetime Record: 10-6-3-1, $1,635,308. Werk Nick
   Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or
   free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–With The Moonlight (Ire), 123, f, 4, by Frankel (GB)
1st Dam: Sand Vixen (GB) (GSW-Eng, $119,931), by Dubawi (Ire)
2nd Dam: Fur Will Fly (GB), by Petong (GB)
3rd Dam: Bumpkin (GB), by Free State (Ire)
O/B-Godolphin LLC (IRE); T-Charles Appleby. $98,750.
3–White Frost, 123, m, 5, by Candy Ride (Arg)
1st Dam: Miss Frost (MSW, $247,259), by Curlin
2nd Dam: Allencat, by Storm Cat
3rd Dam: Pharma, by Theatrical (Ire)
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck);
B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd. (KY); T-William I. Mott.
$59,250.
Margins: 3, 1 1/4, 3. Odds: 0.75, 2.40, 7.68.
Also Ran: Skims (GB), Pizza Bianca, Queen Goddess. Scratched: Freedom Speaks, Henrietta Topham, Speak of the Devil (Fr). Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. Wins Seven Straight at Gulfstream

Leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. equaled the record for most wins by a jockey on a card at Gulfstream Park Friday after riding the winners of seven consecutive races on a nine-race program.

Ortiz shares the Gulfstream record with four other jockeys: Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey (3/11/96), Tyler Gaffalione (7/4/17), Luis Saez (1/24/18; 3/29/18) and Paco Lopez (3/21/20).

Ortiz became the only jockey in Gulfstream history to win seven races in a row.

“It feels great. Everything worked out so good today. Everything came out perfect out there. It was one of those days where everything goes your way, so you enjoy it,” Ortiz said. “We had some live horses, and we always try to look on the positive side with them and ride them all with confidence. But every day doesn't work like today. It's hard, but today was one of those days.”

The 30-year-old jockey, who was recently awarded the Eclipse Award for the 2022 racing season, swept Races 2-8 on the nine-race card.

“It's my first time winning seven races in one day,” Ortiz said. “So, I feel great.”

The three-time Championship Meet titlist at Gulfstream guided Dignified ($7.20) to victory in Race 2 to start his streak before also scoring aboard Little Jewel ($4.20), Lakota Territory ($5.60), Riveting Spirit ($7), Tape to Tape ($4.20), Rhymes Like Dimes ($4.40) and Six Minus ($7.40) in Races 3-8, respectively.

Ortiz, who finished fifth aboard favored Maclin in Race 1, finished seventh aboard Turn On the Charm in Race 9.

Ortiz leads the Championship Meet standings with 44 winners, 10 more than defending champion Luis Saez.

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