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Irad Ortiz Plans Return At Gulfstream With Light Weekend; Full Resumption Next Week

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.

Report: Knee Fracture Could Force Irad Ortiz Jr. To Miss Pegasus World Cup

Three-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. could be out three to four weeks as a result of a knee injury suffered in a starting gate incident on Jan. 7 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee reported.

Ortiz suffered a small fracture to his knee, the jockey's agent, Steve Rushing, told McGee on Tuesday.

Ortiz injured the knee on Jan. 7 when his mount, Shea On a Mission, was fractious in the starting gate prior to the eighth race at Gulfstream Park. Shea On a Mission, a 4-year-old Mission Impazible filly with four previous starts, was scratched from the race.

Ortiz took off his two remaining mounts on the Jan. 7 program but thought he would be able to ride the Jan. 8-9 programs at Gulfstream. He scratched from those mounts the next morning after the pain did not subside, but expected to be back riding on Jan. 12. Those hopes were dashed when the fracture was discovered.

If he is sidelined three weeks, the injury could be a costly one for Ortiz, who was expected to be named to ride Life Is Good in the $3 million, Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational and defending champion Colonel Liam in the $1 million, G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf – both on Jan. 29 at Gulfstream Park. Ortiz rode Life Is Good to victory in his last start in the G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and was aboard Colonel Liam in the 2021 Pegasus Turf.

Winner of the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey in 2018, '19 and '20, Ortiz was the runaway leader in the jockey standings at the 2020-'21 championship meet at Gulfstream Park. He finished second behind Joel Rosario in North American earnings in 2021, with $29,274,435.

The gate incident came one day after Ortiz returned from a 30-day suspension for careless riding at Aqueduct.

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After Friday’s Gate Incident, Irad Ortiz Takes Off Weekend Mounts At Gulfstream

Reigning champion jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. will not ride at Gulfstream Park this weekend, taking time to recover from a sore knee caused by an incident in the starting gate prior to Friday's eighth race, the Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee posted on Twitter. The rider's agent, Steve Rushing, told McGee that Ortiz plans to return to the saddle next Wednesday, when he is named to ride in eight races on the card.

Ortiz was aboard Shea On A Mission for trainer Carlos David as the field loaded into the gate, when the 4-year-old daughter of Mission Impazible became unruly and reared. Ortiz managed to escape out the back, but he immediately appeared to be in pain. He was helped away from the gate by the assistant starters, and Shea On A Mission was scratched by the track veterinarian.

Thursday 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 rode two winners from five mounts on Thursday, and two winners from seven mounts on Friday prior to his injury.

Following the Clasico del Caribe, Ortiz remained in Puerto Rico before returning to South Florida to work horses, primarily for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher at Palm Beach Downs. He was named in 10 of 11 races Saturday and another eight on Sunday.

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Irad Ortiz Jr. Suspended for 30 Days

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has been handed a 30-day suspension by the Aqueduct stewards for his ride aboard Gran Casique (Algorithms) in the eighth race on Friday. News of the suspension was confirmed late Sunday by NYRA spokesman Pat McKenna. McKenna said the suspension would begin “some time this week.”

Aboard Gran Casique, Ortiz came over several paths toward the rail on the run down the backstretch and cut off Ragtime Blues (Union Rags) and apprentice jockey Omar Hernandez Moreno. The infraction was so egregious that the Equibase chart caller wrote: “Gran Casique angled in with reckless abandon and bumped Ragtime Blues at the five-eighths and bumped him hard which caused that foe to lose his rider…” Moreno was not seriously hurt.

Gran Casique was disqualified and placed last.

The stewards apparently agreed with the chart caller, handing Ortiz a suspension that went well beyond the normal five or seven-day penalty usually given to jockeys for careless riding.

Calls to Ortiz's agent Steve Rushing were not returned Sunday. David Grening of the Daily Racing Form reported that Ortiz will not appeal the ruling.

The suspension came on the same day that Ortiz wrapped up the riding title at the 15-day Aqueduct fall meet with 21 wins from 76 mounts. He was not at Aqueduct Sunday and was instead was riding at Hipodromo Camerero in his native Puerto Rico, as was his brother, Jose. Irad Ortiz won three races on the Camerero card.

Ortiz's ride in the GII Remsen S. Saturday at Aqueduct, which he won with Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), also resulted in controversy. Crossing the wire a nose in front of Zandon (Upstart), he came over, bumped with that rival in deep stretch and put him in tight quarters. The stewards let the result stand.

Social media took notice of the rides by Ortiz, who is often accused of “herding” other riders.

“Aggressive riding is one thing but constantly riding the edge, and sometimes crossing it, is another,” NYRA's Andy Serling wrote on Twitter after the Remsen. “Upon reflection, and further viewing, I think there should have been a DQ in the Remsen. @iradortiz is a great rider but he needs to reflect on his tactics going forward.”

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