Trainer John Ortiz took GISW Brightwork (Outwork) out for a spin on Saturday with William Simon, owner of WSS Racing, on hand as the bay filly points towards the GI NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 3.

Working with 4 G Racing's GSP Crown Imperial (Classic Empire), a candidate for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf also on Nov. 3, Brightwork finished in front of her stablemate while completing five furlongs in 1:00.80 and galloping out six furlongs in 1:14. Crown Imperial received a time of 1:02.20 for five furlongs.

“She did it very easy,” Ortiz said of Brightwork, who sustained her first defeat in the Oct. 6 GI Darley Alcibiades S. run at 1 1/16 miles after opening her career with four victories. “She's a filly that likes to take direction and she understood that today I wanted to give her confidence to go two turns.”

Ortiz plans to breeze Brightwork in Lexington Saturday, Oct. 28 with a scheduled Oct. 30 departure to Southern California. She and Crown Imperial would mark the first starters for Ortiz at Santa Anita.

“Never saddled one on my own,” Ortiz said. “I was out there before as an assistant to Kellyn Gorder.”

Others Prep for Breeders' Cup at Keeneland

Trainer Cherie DeVaux worked her three Breeders' Cup hopefuls on the main track Saturday morning.

First was John Gunther's GI Breeders' Cup Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile candidate GSP Stage Raider (Pioneerof the Nile) who worked five furlongs in 1:01. Following the morning's track renovation session, Lael Stable's GISW She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}) worked a half-mile in :48.40 for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and Victory Racing Partners' GSW More Than Looks (More Than Ready) worked a half-mile in :48.60 for the GI Breeders' Cup FanDuel Mile on turf.

In Italian | Sarah Andrew

Other Breeders' Cup possible candidates working on the dirt were GI Juddmonte Spinster S. runner-up GISP Le Da Vida (Chi) (Gemologist) (half-mile in :47.60, 1/79) for trainer Ignacio Correas IV in preparation for the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff and Hidden Class (Catalina Cruiser) (half-mile in :49.40) for Joe Sharp in advance of a possible run in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf or GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Working over the Keeneland turf that was rated as 'good' with designs on the Breeders' Cup were GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile winner and runner-up in the GI Coolmore Turf Mile S. Master of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) (half-mile in :52.20; click here for video), and GI First Lady S. runner-up and MGISW In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) (half-mile in :51.80; click here for video).

Arzak In Good Order Says Trombetta

Sonata Stable's Arzak (Not This Time), winner of the GII Woodford S. Oct. 7, turned in a half-mile breeze in :51.20 over the Haggin Course to the delight of trainer Mike Trombetta. (Click here for video)

“With all the rain [Friday], I was surprised we got on the grass [Saturday],” said Trombetta, who arrived at Keeneland Friday from his main base in Maryland. “It looked like he got over it good. There was a little cut in the ground from the rain.”

Luis Saez was aboard for the work, one of two scheduled at Keeneland before Arzak heads to California on Oct. 30 for an expected start in the Nov. 4 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Trombetta confirmed that Saez, who rode Arzak to victory against optional claimers Aug. 23 at Saratoga the one time he was aboard the 5-year-old, would have the Breeders' Cup mount.

Practical Move Leads BC Preps at Santa Anita

   Topping Saturday's worktab at Santa Anita, GI Santa Anita Derby winner Practical Move (Practical Joke) visited the track at 6:45 a.m., covering four furlongs in :48.80. Trainer Tim Yakteen confirmed the colt will target the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

“He got some outside company and it all went well,” Yakteen said. “I was just looking to see that his energy level was good, make sure all systems are a go. That's what we saw.”

In his latest start, the bay returned from a layoff to take a one-mile allowance at Santa Anita Oct. 6.

Also working towards expected starts in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint were Anarchist (Distorted Humor) (five furlongs, :59.40) on the main track and The Chosen Vron (Vronsky) (five furlongs, 1:01.60) on the training track.

Also working on the main track for trainer Steve Asmussen was Gunite (Gun Runner) (five furlongs, 1:00.20), who is possible for either the Sprint or the Dirt Mile.

Anarchist worked with Vazquez in the irons. The 4-year-old trained by Doug O'Neill most recently won the GII Pat O'Brien S. going seven furlongs at Del Mar Aug. 26.

“He went really good. This is a happy horse,” Vazquez said.  Added Leandro Mora, O'Neill's assistant, “He's stepping things up. He looks more focused and fresher, which was the idea giving him more time between races.”

Drilling a half-mile on the training track for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile were Du Jour (Temple City) and Exaulted (Twirling Candy), the one-two finishers in the Sept. 2 GII Del Mar Mile. Du Jour worked in :48.60 while Exaulted, winner of the GI Shoemaker Mile last spring, went in :47.40.

Also returning to the tab for Bob Baffert were Muth (Good Magic) and Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso), the one-two finishers in the GI American Pharoah S. Oct. 7. Muth went five furlongs in :59.40 seconds and Wine Me Up was timed in :59.20 seconds for the same distance. Both are pointed to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 3.

The deadline to pre-enter for the Breeders' Cup is Monday, Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. ET. Pre-entries will be announced Oct. 25 at noon ET.

The post Brightwork Heads Breeders’ Cup Work Tab appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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With Ricardo Santana Jr. aboard, Brightwork produced fractions of :24.60, :48.60 and galloped out 5 furlongs in 1:01.40. Last Friday here, Brightwork produced a best-of-20 half-mile in :47.

“That was very perfect, and I am grateful that Ricardo made the drive over from Louisville both times to work her,” trainer John Ortiz said. “Last week was a good drill for speed, and this morning was to maintain that speed.”

Ortiz is pointing another runner to next Friday's stakes in 4 G Racing's Crown Imperial (Classic Empire). Winner of the Pepsi Untapable S. at Kentucky Downs, Crown Imperial is considered probable for the GII Jessamine S. Crown Imperial worked a half-mile in :49.20 at Churchill Downs Friday morning.

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She was outsprinted in eighth through scorching early fractions of :20.79 and :44.32, and, after diving toward an inviting opening toward the inside beneath Ricardo Santana, Jr. in the stretch, came alive to get the money by 1 1/4 lengths. Copper Em (Copper Bullet) was second; Buttercream Babe (Twirling Candy) was third.

A debut winner over the dirt in Indiana May 31, she hit the board in her next two attempts versus stakes company, finishing a close second in the Prairie Gold Lassie S. July 7 and third while making her grass debut in the Colleen S. at Monmouth Park July 29.

Crown Imperial becomes the 10th stakes winner for Classic Empire. Mi Fiori produced a filly by Midnight Storm in 2022 and a colt by Goldencents in 2023. The Classic Empire/Congrats cross is also responsible for 2022 GIII Gotham S. winner Morello.

“She is what we call tiny but mighty,” winning trainer John Ortiz said. “She's a small filly with the biggest heart. She got started in Ocala with (GI Spinaway S. winner) Brightwork (Outwork). They were partners, stablemates down there. I think they were doing a little planning in the paddock, I guess. They knew they wanted to be the best, so here we are.”

He added, “Obviously it's early, but Keeneland has a 'Win and You're In' (for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf). I guess you consider taking her straight there. We'll just see what happens in the next three weeks.”

PEPSI UNTAPABLE S., $499,286, Kentucky Downs, 9-13, 2yo, f, 6 1/2fT, 1:16.33, fm.
1–CROWN IMPERIAL, 120, f, 2, by Classic Empire
                1st Dam: Mi Fiori, by Congrats
                2nd Dam: Shoo In, by Dynaformer
                3rd Dam: Satin Promise, by Dixieland Band
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O/B-4 G Racing (KY); T-John Alexander
Ortiz; J-Ricardo Santana, Jr. $294,150. Lifetime Record:
5-2-2-1, $374,450.
2–Copper Em, 120, f, 2, Copper Bullet–Lovely Em, by Scat
Daddy. ($8,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $48,000 Ylg '22 FTKJUL).
1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Winning
Bloodstock (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $96,500.
3–Buttercream Babe, 120, f, 2, Twirling Candy–Runway Ready,
by Mr. Greeley. ($140,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $180,000 2yo '23
OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Three Diamonds Farm; B-Repole
Stable, Inc. (KY); T-Michael J. Maker. $48,250.
Margins: 1 1/4, HD, NK. Odds: 13.73, 11.06, 5.56.
Also Ran: Hidden Class, Zo Lee, Honey Dijon, Sweetcatherinerose, Candi Girl, Song of Norway, Mya's Halo, Testament, Judy Elaine. Scratched: Determined Driver, Determined Sail, Fairhopecurly. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

#12 Crown Imperial gets the crown in the Pepsi Untapable S. at Kentucky Downs for trainer @johnnyortiz24 with @RSantana_Jr aboard!

#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/z03FWKThRM

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) September 13, 2023

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A flashy maiden winner at Keeneland over G2 Queen Mary S. winner Crimson Advocate (Nyquist), Brightwork earned her next win in stakes company with a half-length score in Ellis's Debutante S. July 2. She immediately moved up into graded-stakes company at Saratoga and was a no-doubt winner in a five-length roll to take the GIII Adironack S. Aug. 6. Drawn outside of her main rival in Sunday's contest, the 3-1 chance raced just ahead of Ways and Means up the backstretch with the pair coming into tight quarters as Flavian Prat had to check his filly back off of heels to avoid disaster. Sugar Hi (Twirling Candy) had a clear trip to the lead from an inside gate and led the compact group alongside Lemorian (Coal Front) through a quarter in :22.40. Brightwork stayed outside of that pair but was quickly joined by Ways and Means as the fillies went four across the track midway around the far turn as the half ticked by in a brisk :45.09. The top two wagering choices hit the quarter pole together but Brightwork always seemed to have the measure of the 1-2 favorite, turning back her challenge to pull out the win.

“There are really no words to describe it,” said winning owner Bill Simon of WSS Racing. “I'm so proud of Johnny and what he's done with the horse; Jared [Hughes], who picked her out; Daniel Ortiz, Johnny's brother, has been living up here with Brightwork for the summer and they deserve all the credit. It's just a phenomenal feeling. There were some great horses in this race trained by some great trainers, and we won. It's really special.”

“The horse beside me [No. 10, Lemorian], last time she broke from the one-hole at Indiana but she outbreak everybody and I know she's going to be quick,” added Irad Ortiz, Jr. “So, I say, maybe I let her go and stalk there and maybe I can bide my time and I know the horse I have to beat is the horse inside of me [Ways and Means]. That's what I tried to do and it worked out perfect.”

Pedigree Note:

Brightwork becomes the second-straight daughter of WinStar stallion Outwork to take the Spinaway following Leave No Trace's victory last year. She is out of a half-sister to several stakes winners but most notably to the dam of GSW/MGISP Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) and GISW and successful young sire Girvin (Tale of Ekati). Clarendon Fancy saw her yearling Volatile filly bring $285,000 at last month's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale and she reported a Yaupon filly this spring.

#9 Brightwork stays undefeated and takes the G1 Spinaway S. under @iradortiz for trainer @johnnyortiz24!

#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/h62zAp6ZBi

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) September 3, 2023

Sunday, Saratoga
SPINAWAY S.-GI, $300,000, Saratoga, 9-3, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:23.17, ft.
1–BRIGHTWORK, 122, f, 2, by Outwork
                1st Dam: Clarendon Fancy, by Malibu Moon
                2nd Dam: Catch My Fancy, by Yes It's True
                3rd Dam: Walk Away Rene, by Gold Alert
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($95,000 Wlg '21 FTKNOV). O-WSS Racing,
LLC; B-Wynnstay Inc. & H. Allen Poindexter (KY); T-John
Alexander Ortiz; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $165,000. Lifetime Record:
4-4-0-0, $444,051. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Ways and Means, 120, f, 2, by Practical Joke
                1st Dam: Strong Incentive (SW, $123,568),
                                by Warrior's Reward
                2nd Dam: G G's Dolly, by Comic Strip
                3rd Dam: Parfait, by Kingmambo
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK 
TYPE. 'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Klaravich Stables (KY); T-Chad C.
Brown. $60,000.
3–Wonder Ride, 120, f, 2, by Gun Runner
                1st Dam: Wonderment (GSW, $394,870),
                                by Cosmonaut
                2nd Dam: A Wonder She Is, by Three Wonders
                3rd Dam: Video Devil, by Devil's Bag
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. O-Walking L Thoroughbreds, LLC; B-Walking L
Thoroughbreds LLC & Fest Miles (KY); T-Kenneth G. McPeek.
$36,000.
Margins: HF, 6 1/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 3.00, 0.45, 31.75.
Also Ran: Alys Beach, Closing Act, Sugar Hi, Lady Moscato, Lemorian, Miz Sense. Scratched: Becky's Joker.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

The post Daughter of Outwork Remains Undefeated in Spinaway appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Ways and Means, a homebred for Klaravich Stables, earned a field-best 90 Beyer Speed Figure for her geared-down 12 3/4-length debut victory going six furlongs Aug. 6. She'll take on an additional furlong in the Spinaway.

“She's had two easy works since, and she looks fine,” trainer Chad Brown said. “I'm excited to see her run again. We've been training easy.”

Brightwork made it three-for-three for trainer John Ortiz with an impressive win of her own in the 6 1/2-furlong Adirondack Aug. 6. The re-opposing GIII Schuylerville S. winner Becky's Joker (Practical Joke) was a distant seventh that day.

“The thing about her works is that she's only getting better and better,” Ortiz said of Brightwork. “Her heart rate is showing that she's asking for more distance and so we're going in there as confident as can be.”

The field of 10 also includes: Astoria S. winner and Schuylerville third Closing Act (Munnings); the Bill Mott-trained six-length debut winner on opening day Sugar Hi (Twirling Candy); and Alys Beach (Omaha Beach), who defeated next-out runaway winner Life Talk (Gun Runner) by a head on debut July 30.

Sunday's graded stakes action also includes: the GII Caesars Sportsbook Del Mar Derby and the GIII National Thoroughbred League Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs.

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“It was a good, useful work,” said trainer Bill Mott. “He galloped out well and seemed to have good energy and to be moving well. It was fast enough. I think we're fit enough.”

A debut winner at Gulfstream in March, Scotland was nosed out of an allowance victory at Keeneland in April before taking a one-mile optional claimer at Churchill June 3. He was making his two-turn debut when scoring a 3 1/4-length victory in the nine-furlong Curlin last time out.

Also working for Mott Sunday, champions Elite Power (Curlin) and Channel Maker (English Channel) worked four furlongs in company over the Oklahoma training track. Elite Power, targeting next week's GI Forego S., covered the distance in :49.55 (28/68), while Channel Maker, aiming for the GI Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer S., went in :49.75 (31/68).

“They both looked good and it was normal for them,” Mott said of the works.

On Saturday, Mott saddled firster Hunt Ball (Into Mischief), a half-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Cody's Wish (Curlin), to a solid runner-up debut effort behind Risk It (Gun Runner).

Mott said the effort was educational for the juvenile, who split rivals from off the pace at the top of the lane and ran on well to be defeated 4 1/2 lengths in the six-furlong maiden race.

“We'll probably stretch him out a little bit and we found out he's pretty game,” Mott said of the Godolphin homebred. “He was willing to run through horses and he didn't seem intimidated by it.”

Meanwhile, with his debut victory, Risk It punched his ticket to the Sept. 16 one-mile GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill Downs, according to trainer Steve Asmussen.

“That's what we were hoping for and we were thinking about it,” Asmussen said. “He's trained like he'll get a mile. Obviously with his pedigree and what he's shown to this point, we're going to continue to dream.”

Trainer John Ortiz sent GIII Adirondack S. winner Brightwork (Outwork) out to work four furlongs in :52.11 (137/139) over the main track at Saratoga Sunday morning in preparation for the Sept. 3 GI Spinaway S.

“We gave her an interval workout in preparation to stretch her out. She worked a half-mile, but she galloped out another half mile,” Ortiz explained. “From the pole to the wire, they got her in about :52, but if you clocked from the quarter-pole and just follow her gallop out, she galloped out in :49 flat. So, she basically did two workouts.

“I told Irad [Ortiz] I wanted her to go nice and easy, and get her to relax and let her listen to you,” added Ortiz. “When she got to the top of the stretch, I wanted her to stride out. I wanted him to let her gallop out as far as she wants and she took him all the way back to the half-mile pole. We basically went about seven furlongs and she stayed consistent on it.”

Unbeaten in three starts, Brightwork graduated first time out going 4 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland Apr. 26. She won the six-furlong Debutante S. at Ellis Park July 2 before her five-length victory in the 6 1/2-furlong Adirondack Aug. 6.

Brightwork will be stretching out to seven furlongs for the Spinaway, but Ortiz is confident she will handle the extra distance.

“We use Equimetre to monitor her heart rate and stride length and I'm very, very in love with the data shown to me this morning. It looks like the further we go, the better with her,” Ortiz said.

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But the trainer of Brightwork (Outwork) may have let his poker face slip when he spoke with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the paddock ahead of the GIII Adirondack S. on Sunday.

“I walked in there confident and with a smile,” Ortiz shared. “Irad had worked her and I said, 'You know what you've got and I know what I've got, so just ride her like a big horse.'”

Despite bobbling at the break, Brightwork delivered just as her up-and-coming trainer had hoped, achieving a perfect 3-for-3 record as she swung four wide in the stretch and drew away to win by five lengths sporting the silks of Bill and Tammy Simon's WSS Racing. The victory gave Ortiz his first stakes win in Saratoga.

“I'm very proud that we got to win here,” he reflected. “I feel like I belong. I'm not a rookie trainer anymore. We've all got something to learn on the racetrack every day, but I feel like we know what we're doing. We're here to compete. All the hard work through my entire life, all the good choices and all the bad choices I've made in my life, have paid off.”

Ortiz now has two wins and a stakes placing on his record during his first Saratoga meet this year, but it was only a few years ago that the young trainer was questioning his decision to launch his own stable.

After taking out his trainer's license in 2016, his numbers had dropped from seven horses to four by the end of the first year and he wondered if his dream was going to work out. But then, the Midwest-based conditioner got a call from two key clients–former Walmart CEO Bill Simon and Hootie Moore of Hootie's Racing. Those two stables joined in with Ortiz's longtime client 4G Racing and the wins slowly started to collect.

Jared Hughes, Bill Simon, John Ortiz and the rest of the Brightwork crew | Sarah Andrew

“We had a lot of claimers and we went through a lot of emotions in those first years,” said Ortiz. “But people noticed that it didn't matter what kind of horse we had, we just gave it our all. [Our owners] know how much we care about these animals day in and day out. From me and all through my grooms, we talk about how special we treat our horses.”

Another key to Ortiz's early success was his connection with bloodstock agent Jared Hughes. Hughes picked up Barber Road (Race Day) for $15,000 as a weanling and the colt went on to take WSS Racing to their first Kentucky Derby last year. The agent has since found another standout in Brightwork.

Hughes purchased Brightwork, a daughter of the unraced Malibu Moon mare Clarendon Fancy, for $95,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. He believed that what the filly may have lacked in pedigree was made up for by a standout physical.

“That year we bought five babies and she was the first one we bought,” recalled Hughes. “I try to focus on horses that really stick out to me. She was a beautiful foal–a big, frame-y filly and she really stood out above her peers. That's what stood out to me was how big and strong she was.”

The WSS Racing model involves purchasing around half a dozen foals at the weanlings sales each fall and then refining the group the following year–adding in a few yearling purchases and re-selling one or two to pay for the new additions. Hughes explained that the system works to their advantage as it allows him to focus on finding the horses he likes physically instead of hunting down the most commercial prospects.

“It allows for a lot of flexibility and I think if we buy them early, we aren't paying a premium,” he said. “We can get to know them and decide which ones we want to sell.”

After spending time at Fallbrook Farm, Brightwork was sent to Ortiz's father Carlos Ortiz, a former jockey who now runs Ortiz Training Stables in Ocala. Ortiz said that after his father had spent just a few days with the filly, he told his son that she was one to watch out for.

Daniel Ortiz and Brightwork | Sarah Andrew

Brightwork arrived at Ortiz's Keeneland barn in the springtime and, while Ortiz said he normally doesn't send out many 2-year-olds in April, he soon knew she would be an exception. Brightwork made her debut a winning one on April 26 after dueling with Stonestreet-owned Barbtourage (Into Mischief ) in the stretch. The third-place finisher was future G2 Queen Mary S. winner Crimson Advocate (Nyquist).

“She wasn't there 100% fitness-wise, but she was 100% mentally there,” Ortiz explained. “That's why we decided to give it a shot. Sometimes with baby races, I think if they have a little bit of an idea of what they're out there to do, they get the job done. We were amazed that she showed a lot of heart and toughness because she got bumped and then was able to come back and pass through the rail. Not a lot of 2-year-olds run on like that once they get passed.”

Following the victory, Ortiz and his team sketched out a plan to get to the Breeders' Cup. After additional scores in the Debutante S. and the Adirondack, they are now on to the GI Spinaway.

“After her debut, I told Jared that he better get ready to pick out a purple tie,” Ortiz said with a grin. “That was back at Keeneland and I'm still looking for that tie.”

“If anyone knows me, I don't like to wear ties,” added Hughes. “I told Johnny if he gets her to the Breeders' Cup, I will go buy the tie.”

Ortiz is a native of Columbia, but he moved to New York as a child and grew up tagging along with his father at the Bill Mott barn. He started his career as a hot walker for Mott and would later become a traveling assistant for the Hall of Fame trainer before working for Graham Motion and Barclay Tagg. He met Hughes in Kentucky while working for Kellyn Gorder and opened his stable shortly after.

“When he first came to Kentucky, he was just this kid from New York,” recalled Hughes. “He was different from me, but I had a lot to learn from him. He's a great rider and a great horseman. Johnny just has the “it” factor. He speaks horse. He understands them and he listens. This is his first year in New York and it's a big deal for him to be here. We planned to bring a small group up here to try it, but it really came down to us needing Brightwork to be who she is to get to go. When she won at Ellis, it made it easy.”

The Ortiz barn has been a Saratoga success outside of Brightwork's victory. Fellow WSS Racing colorbearers Unsung Melody (Maclean's Music) ran third in the Wilton S. and Urgent Fury (Creative Cause) broke his maiden on July 28.

During the week Ortiz returns to visit his strings in Kentucky, but he relies on the help of his 24-year-old brother Daniel to hold down the fort in Saratoga.

“We discussed this a long time ago,” explained Ortiz. “I told my brother that I would need him to be able to step up and represent the Ortiz family, not just the barn. We're all working on this together. I don't have my name on the logo. It's just two stripes. He has risen to the challenge and made me very proud. He's been doing a great job not just representing me, but the horses themselves. They look incredible and he has taken a lot of pride in the work he's putting in.”

Brightwork wins by five in the Adirondack | Sarah Andrew

Family is an important aspect of the Ortiz stable. From the horses to the clients to the grooms, Ortiz considers them all a member of his team.

“I have learned a lot from Mr. Bill [Simon],” he said. “He's a really good role model and a good mentor. To be able to win for these types of connections is incredible. Jared has been like an older brother to me and the fact that my dad is the one that always gets my babies started, we all have a really good connection.”

“It is definitely like a family,” Hughes added. “Bill and Tammy treat us like family. They allow us to make decisions. They allow us to make mistakes. This game has a lot of highs and lows, so you really need to enjoy who you're doing it with. We just enjoy being around each other and it means so much because we're doing it together.”

Enjoying the talents of a filly like Brightwork, Ortiz and Hughes agreed, makes their experience together all the more special.

“It means so much because we're doing it together,” Hughes explained. “To have a filly like this with unlimited potential, it means the world. I gave Johnny a big hug in the winner's circle and he said, 'I love you, bro' and that's what I'll remember.”

“This filly brings us all together,” Ortiz said. “Everybody takes pride in what we do for her, with her and because of her. She's just special.”

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Brightwork

#4 Brightwork stays perfect in the G3 Adirondak S. at Saratoga under @iradortiz for trainer @johnnyortiz24!

#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/0PFSdvLV87

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) August 6, 2023

ADIRONDACK S.-GIII, $200,000, Saratoga, 8-6, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:16.85, ft.
1–BRIGHTWORK, 122, f, 2, by Outwork
       1st Dam: Clarendon Fancy, by Malibu Moon
                2nd Dam: Catch My Fancy, by Yes It's True
                3rd Dam: Walk Away Rene, by Gold Alert
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($95,000 Wlg '21 FTKNOV).
O-WSS Racing, LLC; B-Wynnstay Inc. & H. Allen Poindexter
(KY); T-John Alexander Ortiz; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $110,000. Lifetime
Record: 3-3-0-0, $279,051. *1/2 to Quiet Company (Temple
City), SP, $196,835. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Here U Come Again, 120, f, 2, Liam's Map–Euro K Shotgun,
by Euroears. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($130,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP). O/B-Clearsky Farms (KY);
T-Brad H. Cox. $40,000.
3–Streaming Now, 120, f, 2, Into Mischief–One True Kiss, by
Warrior's Reward. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
O/B-OXO Equine LLC (KY); T-Paulo H. Lobo. $24,000.
Margins: 5, 3 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 5.10, 2.70, 8.90.
Also Ran: Magic Cross, Princess Indy, Princesa Celina, Becky's Joker, Copper Em. Scratched: Cara's Time, Saratoga Secret.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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“This is very exciting,” said McEntee, who will be joined in the Turfway riding colony by her boyfriend, Tyler Heard. “I have never been to the States before. It will be a completely new world for me and I just want to make the most of the opportunities. I've been riding over here for four years now and I feel I'm at the stage where I'm ready to go on and do something in America. The prize money and the opportunities at home are a lot more limited than they are in America. I'm young enough and in a position where I could move to America and try to take advantage of all the opportunities here.”

McEntee is the daughter of Newmarket trainer Phil McEntee and began riding in 2019. She was neither a star nor a bust, settling in somewhere near the middle of the pack when it came to British riders. She won 24 races in 2021 and 24 this year from 224 mounts.

“I'd get plenty of regular rides, but not in stakes races or in the bigger handicaps,” she said. “The jockeys are so good and so competitive there are very few opportunities at the higher levels. Everyone wants to use one of the top jockeys.”

McEntee's earnings this year were £153,958. She said that jockeys in the U.K. get 8 percent of their horse's earnings, making her 2022 paycheck from prize-money £12,316. That comes out to $14,864.

For McEntee, choosing Kentucky over other U.S. circuits was an easy choice. Not only is the purse money good but she has a number of relatives there who can help her out. Her first Turfway mount will be in Saturday's Gowell S., where she will ride Baytown Lovely (Fast Anna) for Paul McEntee, who is her uncle. Her brother, Jake, is an assistant to trainer Kenny McPeek. She has two other uncles working in Kentucky, one a bloodstock advisor, the other a farm manager.

McEntee was set to travel to Kentucky on Friday and to make her way to the Turfway backstretch Saturday morning to work horses and meet trainers. She has hired Jose Santos Jr. to be her agent. She should not have any trouble adjusting to Turfway's Tapeta surface as many of her winners in the U.K. have come over all-weather surfaces. McEntee said she doesn't know yet if she will stay here permanently and will decide after she sees how much business she gets.

The purse for the Gowell is $125,000 and Baytown Lovely is 20-1 in the morning line. She said she will have a mount on Sunday's card for trainer John Ortiz. The goal is to meet as many trainers as possible and to convince them to give her a chance. She doesn't have to ride in seven races a day. Thanks in large part to the revenue that comes in from Historical Horse Racing machines, maidens go for $70,000 at Turfway and the purse for allowance races is in the neighborhood of $75,000. There's plenty of money to go around. By way of comparison, McEntee's most recent winner came in a Dec. 29 race at Southwell and the purse was the equivalent of $9,000.

“It's pretty simple,” she said. “I can have a better life in the States.”

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“I was too far away to do anything about it, but Florent was able to jump up on him by himself,” Cox said. “He's feeling good [Sunday]. It's a nice, crisp morning and if you watched him walk around here, you definitely wouldn't think he ran a mile and an eighth yesterday. He's got a lot of energy.”

Cox also trains lightly raced Zozos (Munnings), who earned a spot in the Kentucky Derby with a runner-up effort in the Mar. 26 GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.

Arkansas Derby runner-up Barber Road (Race Day) is on target to be the first Kentucky Derby starter for trainer John Ortiz, but the colt will remain at Oaklawn for the time being.

“Right now, we don't have any plans of moving him,” said Ortiz. “He sprung a shoe, so we're going to get that fixed first and address that. He got banged around there down the stretch, but he's just a tough little horse.”

Secret Oath (Arrogate), third while facing colts for the first time in the Arkansas Derby, will return to her own division for the May 6 GI Kentucky Oaks.

Secret Oath made a sweeping six-wide move on the second turn to reach contention before weakening late to finish three-quarters of a length behind Barber Road.

“She was tired,” trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Sunday. “That move she made was a terrific move for a filly at this stage of her career, to keep going. Watching it live, I thought she's probably going to hang a little bit here. She almost had to. It was a monster move. But when she came back, she was tired. The beautiful thing is we've got five weeks now. I said that before the race and now it gives us some direction. We're not thinking Derby. Now, we're focused on what we should be–the Oaks–and we've got five weeks to get back in form.”

Lukas said Secret Oath and stablemates Ethereal Road (Quality Road) and Ignitis (Nyquist) will ship Tuesday to Churchill Downs. Ignitis, third in the Smarty Jones S., is pointing for the Apr. 8 $400,000 Lafayette S. at Keeneland. Ethereal Road, the GII Rebel runner-up, is scheduled to make his next start in the Apr. 9 GI Toyota Blue Grass S. Ethereal Road has 20 points to rank 24th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

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