Top jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will return to the saddle this weekend at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., reports the Daily Racing Form, after missing two weeks due to a knee injury suffered in the starting gate on Jan. 7. The injury was initially diagnosed as a fracture and expected to keep Ortiz from riding for up to a month, but a second opinion has cleared the jockey for a gradual return to riding races.
“Irad said he felt great this morning,” agent Steve Rushing told DRF. “He's going to start back on Saturday, only ride a couple each day this weekend, and gradually get back to a full card starting next week.”
Thursday, Jan. 6 was the first day Ortiz had ridden since the Clasico del Caribe card at Camarero (Puerto Rico) on Dec. 5, 2021, owing to a 30-day suspension for his actions in a pair of races at Aqueduct.
Ortiz has won the past three Eclipse Awards as North America's champion jockey. He led all riders with 336 wins in 2021 and ranked second with 1,443 starts and $29,274,435 in purse earnings. He also won a personal best 36 graded stakes, 10 of them Grade 1 races.
Ortiz is booked to ride Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Life Is Good in the Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 29, as well as defending winner Colonel Liam in the Pegasus Turf. Trainer Todd Pletcher told DRF Ortiz would retain those mounts if all goes well this weekend.
Read more at the Daily Racing Form.
The post Irad Ortiz Plans Return At Gulfstream With Light Weekend; Full Resumption Next Week appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
