paco lopez | Horse Racing Free Tips

Lopez After Fight With Ortiz: ‘I Don’t Want Any Trouble Going Forward’

After scuffling Friday at Gulfstream Park with Irad Ortiz, Jr., which caused him to be put on probation for the remainder of the meet, Paco Lopez told the TDN Monday he is ready to move on.

That there was a fight between Ortiz and Lopez was first reported by the Daily Racing Form's Mike Welsch. The fight was captured on a video that shows Ortiz landing at least three punches on Lopez following the fourth race Friday at Gulfstream. Lopez did not fight back.

“For me, it's over. I don't want any trouble going forward,” Lopez said.

Ortiz was fined $1,000 and both riders were put on probation. According to the Racing Form, probation means that any future altercation between the two riders would result in “fines and/or suspension and possible expulsion from the grounds.”

The TDN tried to reach Ortiz through his agent Steve Rushing but Rushing did not return a phone call.

The altercation occurred after Ortiz guided Known Agenda (Curlin) to a win over Lopez's mount, Top Gun Tommy (Mineshaft) in the allowance race. Known Agenda won by 11 lengths.

Coming out of the far turn, Known Agenda came over a path and appeared to bother Top Gun Tommy before pulling away from his rival. Lopez lodged an objection but the stewards let the result stand as is.

“If I had fought him back, I'd have a fine, too,” Lopez said. “But I was just sitting down in the chair, waiting for the result at the same time as him. I didn't want to provoke him.”

Lopez has run afoul of the Gulfstream stewards in the past. In 2019, he received a 30-day suspension for careless riding, followed later on in the meet by a 60-day suspension for “continuous careless riding.” He said that was in the back of his mind when the fight was taking place.

“The stewards there are very tough on me,” he said. “They had given me 30 and then 60 days. I know that if I had done to him what he did to me I would have been ruled off from the track.”

Lopez said he doesn't know why Ortiz was so mad at him.

“I was just doing my job,” Lopez said. “I called the stewards. He started screaming at me. I'm not jealous of him. I had a problem. He would have done the same thing.”

Ortiz is the leading rider at the meet with 107 wins. Lopez is in a tie for third with Tyler Gaffalione. Both have 71 winners.

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Report: Irad Ortiz Jr. Fined $1,000 For Punching Paco Lopez

Daily Racing Form's Mike Welsch reports that Gulfstream Park stewards have fined Irad Ortiz Jr. $1,000 and placed Ortiz and fellow jockey Paco Lopez on probation for the remainder of the championship meet following a fight between the two men after the fourth race on Feb. 26 at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track.

Known Agenda scored an 11-length victory as the 1-2 favorite with Ortiz aboard in the allowance optional claiming race. Lopez finished second aboard Top Gun Tommy and claimed foul against Ortiz for an incident at the top of the stretch.

The two horses raced as a team into the stretch, with Known Agenda to the outside.Top Gun Tommy suddenly steadied and swung to the outside straightening into the stretch and apparently brushed the hindquarters of Known Agenda (see video below). The official Equibase chart says Known Agenda “took over outside Top Gun Tommy, getting his hind end brushed by the latter at the top of the stretch.”

As the horses came back to be unsaddled and the claim of foul announced, Ortiz could be seen yelling at Lopez. A few minutes later, while Lopez was seated in a chair, Ortiz threw several punches at him. It was quickly broken up but caught on video.

Stewards opted to allow the original order of finish to stand.

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Phantom Currency Earns First Stakes Victory, Wires Mac Diarmida Field

Susan and Jim Hill's Phantom Currency notched his first career stakes victory in front-running style, turning back favorite Tide of the Sea through the stretch for a one-length triumph in Saturday's $200,000 Mac Diarmida (G2) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 26^th running of the 1 3/8-mile Mac Diarmida for older turf horses was the second of nine stakes, eight graded, worth $1.475 million on a blockbuster 14-race program headlined by the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) for 3-year-olds on the road to the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa March 27 and $200,000 Davona Dale (G2) featuring the seasonal debut of 2-year-old filly champion Vequist.

Ridden by Paco Lopez for trainer Brian Lynch, Phantom Currency ($15.60) completed the distance in 2:13.84 over a firm course. Tide of the Sea, looking to give trainer Mike Maker his third consecutive Mac Diarmida victory, ran second, with stablemate Temple third.

Breaking from Post 6 in a field of eight, Phantom Currency – a 5-year-old gelding by Goldencents – was sent to the lead in typical style by Lopez, going a quarter-mile in 23.60 seconds with a comfortable gap back to Tide of the Sea in second as the group came through the stretch for the first time. Tide of the Sea ranged up after a half in 49.08 and went the mile in 1:38.40 to forge a short lead.

Phantom Currency responded by wresting the lead back on the turn and straightened for home in front with Tide of the Sea and Temple furthest outside closing in. Phantom Currency, a 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance winner in is Gulfstream debut Jan. 13, dug in along the rail. Moon Over Miami was fourth, followed by Sir Sahib, Admission Office, Basha and Aquaphobia.

“I was surprised they left him alone like they did, and I was very happy to see him make the lead like they did and then slow it down the second quarter,” said Lynch. “He's a horse that gets very, very game when he's left alone. Paco said he gave him a little breather around the three-eighths pole and he still felt like he had a lot of horse. He let them come to him and then he crept away. I'm very proud of him. He's been an overachiever, this horse. He obviously likes this track and he's very dangerous when he's left alone.”

“It was the first time I rode the horse and Brian told me to put him on the lead,” said Lopez. “I did exactly what he told me. I had to use him in the race coming to the three-eighths [pole] and he wanted to run off a little bit the first quarter. The second quarter I got a hold of him and he got comfortable. I was on the rail and I waited. [Tide of the Sea] passed me a little bit but I was confident I had a lot of horse and in the stretch he got away from them.”

In his previous stakes attempts, Phantom Currency finished off the board in the Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup and Clark (G1), the latter on dirt. Lynch finished second in the 2020 Mac Diarmida with Admission Office.

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Irad Ortiz Jr. Rides Six Winners At Gulfstream: ‘Tomorrow, Everybody WIll Forget’

Two-time defending Championship Meet titlist Irad Ortiz Jr. rode six winners on Saturday's 12-race program at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

After notching a natural hat trick with victories aboard Hard Game ($8) in Race 2, Noble Empire ($3) in Race 3 and Bourbon in May ($7.60) in Race 4, Ortiz scored aboard Great Island ($2.60) in Race 6, the $100,000 Suwannee River, Democracy ($15.60) in Race 7, and R Mercedes Boy ($5.60) in Race 9.

Ortiz has ridden a meet-leading 76 winners, 16 more than Luis Saez.

“You never think that you're going to win that many races, but you come here positive,” Ortiz said. “You try to win every race. I ride all my horses with the same mind. I try to win, no matter what. I think that helps. I got the right horses, too. My agent does a great job and all the trainers support me. They give me a lot of good chances, and the owners. Right now, we're in a good position, thank God. I'm glad. I feel great.

“It's pretty great. You don't have too many days like this, so I just enjoy it. For me, honestly, I go home and it's just another day. Tomorrow everybody will forget what happened today. I just move on. I celebrate the way I want to; I go home with my family. That's it, and tomorrow is a new day.”

The record for most wins on a Gulfstream program is 7, shared by Jerry Bailey (3/11/96), Tyler Gaffalione (7/4/17), Luis Saez (1/24/18 and 3/29/18) and Paco Lopez (3/21/20).

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