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Irad Ortiz Jr. Sets New Championship Meet Win Record At Gulfstream Park

Irad Ortiz Jr. set the single-season Championship Meet win record in style Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., guiding St. Elias Stable's homebred Known Agenda to a 2 ¾-length victory in the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa.

It was the first career win in Gulfstream's signature race for the 28-year-old Ortiz and his 138^th during the country's premier winter stand, surpassing Luis Saez's mark of 137 set in 2017-18. Ortiz approached the record in 2018-19, but finished with 135.

“It means a lot. We work so hard. I feels so good to get the feedback from the owners and the trainers. They support me. I say thanks to all of them,” Ortiz said. “When I say all of them, I mean all of them – from the claiming races to the stakes races. We have a lot of respect for Luis. It wasn't easy. He wins a lot of races here, too. We are so happy.”

Ortiz also was tops with 115 wins in 2019-20, and is now only the fourth jockey in history to win at least three consecutive Gulfstream riding titles joining Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, who won five straight from 2011-12 to 2015-16, Jorge Chavez (1999-2001) and Jeff Fell (1977-79).

Earlier Saturday, Ortiz tied the record aboard Joseph Imbesi's Sweet Bye and Bye in the $100,000 Sand Springs. He now has 14 stakes wins at the meet, including Grade 1 triumphs in the Florida Derby and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, the latter with Colonel Liam. Both Known Agenda and Colonel Liam are trained by Todd Pletcher.

The three-time defending Eclipse Award winner as champion jockey, Ortiz has posted 43 multi-win days at Gulfstream this winter, including a six-win effort Feb. 6 that fell just one short of the track's single-day record shared by Saez, Tyler Gaffalione and Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey.

Represented by agent Jay Rushing, Ortiz has also registered five five-win days, seven four-win days and nine three-win days during the Championship Meet.

“It means a lot. We ride a lot of races here and I always like to win. We try all the time but we can't win every meet. We try so hard and it's special,” Ortiz said. “My agent does hard work and I get a lot of support from the owners and trainers and I appreciate that. It means a lot honestly. I really like this meet. It's like summer, good weather, and the people here are big fans. They support all the jockeys so I'm really happy.”

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Saez Guides Mystic Guide To Dubai World Cup For Godolphin, Stidham

The U.S.-based Ghostzapper 4-year-old colt Mystic Guide proved superior in the Group 1 Dubai World Cup from Meydan in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday night, winning the $12-million race easily under Luis Saez for Dubai-based owner-breeder Godolphin and American trainer Michael Stidham.

Japan's Chuwa Wizard finished second, with another Godolphin homebred, French-trained Magny Cours third, Irish-bred/Dubai-trained Hypothetical fourth and German-bred/Dubai-trained Salute the Soldier fifth in the field of 12.

There were two late scratches that delayed the running of the race. Great Scot ran off during the post parade and Military Law broke through the starting gate and ran off.

Time of the 1 1/4-mile race on dirt was 2:01.62. Mystic Guide, favored in the wagering, paid $5.50 to win, $2.20 to place and $3.30 to show in the U.S.

Hypothetical led the way from the start, with Saez and Mystic Guide racing in third while in the clear to the pacesetter's outside. Saez made his move to the lead with just over a quarter of a mile remaining, and the result never seemed in doubt from that point forward.

The victory was the fourth in eight career starts for Mystic Guide, who was coming off a six-length victory in the G3 Razorback Handicap at Oaklawn on Feb. 27 in his 2021 debut. Produced from the A.P. Indy mare, Music Note, Mystic Guide did not race as a 2-year-old and won the G2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga for his only stakes victory as a 3-year-old. He finished his year with a second-place finish to Happy Saver in the G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, beaten three-quarters of a length.

This was Godolphin's ninth win in the 25 runnings of the Dubai World Cup and third in a row, having won in 2018 and '19 with Thunder Snow. The 2020 renewal was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Gulfstream Park: Irad Ortiz Jr. Poised To Break Meet Record; Newly Arrived Edwin Gonzalez Rides On Saturday

Leading rider Irad Ortiz Jt. rode four winners on Thursday's program at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., moving to within two victories of the Championship Meet record.

Ortiz, the defending two-time Championship Meet titlist, won back-to-back aboard Ghostly Beauty ($3.60) in Race 4 and Trappezoid ($8.80) in Race 5 before scoring aboard Star Weaver ($4.40) in Race 7 and Foxxy Belle ($5.80) in Race 9.

With three days remaining in the 2020-2021 Championship Meet, Ortiz has a total of 135, two fewer than Luis Saez's record of 137, set in 2017-2018.

Ortiz has seven mounts Friday and is named to ride in 13 of 14 races Saturday, when he is scheduled to ride Todd Pletcher-trained Known Agenda in the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa.

Ortiz, the defending three-time Eclipse Award champion, is also scheduled to ride in all 12 races on Sunday's program.

Gonzalez Named on 4 Horses Saturday on First Day at Gulfstream
Journeyman Edwin Gonzalez, Penn National's leading rider the last two years while winning at over a 30 percent clip, will begin his Gulfstream Park residency with four mounts on Saturday's blockbuster 14-race Curlin Florida Derby Day program.

Gonzalez has mounts in two of Saturday's 10 stakes – Frosted Grace in the $100,000 Sir Shackleton in Race 5 and Dizzy in the $100,000 Orchid (G3) in Race 13. He is also scheduled in a pair of maiden special weight events aboard 3-year-old colt Core in Race 1 and 3-year-old filly My Desdemona in Race 7. Gonzalez is named in seven of 12 races Sunday at Gulfstream, closing day of the 2020-2021 Championship Meet.

Gulfstream's 105-day spring-summer meet is scheduled to open Thursday, April 1 and run through Thursday, Sept. 30.

A multiple group stakes winner in his native Puerto Rico, where he won 443 races before coming to the U.S. in 2013, Gonzalez owns 1,445 career victories. He ranked 14th overall in North American wins in 2020 (177) and 11th in 2019 (236).

Gonzalez was second in wins during the 2017 Tampa Bay Downs meet and won six races there on March 10 of that year. He will be represented by Kevin Meyocks, who also serves as agent for Luca Panici.

Winner of the 2017 Arlington Handicap (G3) with Ghost Hunter, Gonzalez last rode March 17 at Penn National, winning two races to push his meet-leading total to 36. He also won six races Feb. 17 and five races March 4.

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Chess Chief Nails Owendale At The Wire In New Orleans Classic

Last early under Luis Saez, Chess Chief kicked into high gear down the stretch, catching 4-5 favorite Owendale at the wire in Saturday's Grade 2, $400,000 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds racetrack in New Orleans, La.

Trained by Dallas Stewart for the estate of James J. Coleman Jr., Chess Chief is a 5-year-old son of leading sire Into Mischief who was winning his first stakes in his 23rd career start. He covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.24 on a fast track and paid $12 to win on a $2 mutuel.

Multiple graded stakes winner Owendale, ridden by Florent Geroux for Brad Cox, finished second, beaten a head. Enforceable was a half-length back in third, with Roadster, a G1 winner for Bob Baffert making his first start since being transferred to Michael Stidham's barn, fourth in the field of seven older runners. Captivating Moon was scratched.

Roadster, with John Velazquez aboard, set the pace with Owendale racing on his right flank most of the way through fractions of :24.11, :48.30 and 1:11.64 for the first six furlongs.

Those two raced as a team into the stretch, with Owendale putting his head in front when they passed the mile marker in 1:36.08. Chess Chief, last early, swung widest of all into the stretch but still had work to do with a furlong to run. Saez kept to his task, however, and Chess Chief was up in time for the win – his fourth in 23 career starts.

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