Irad Ortiz Jr. (Coglianese)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Since his first domestic win more than 13 years ago, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has put together a career littered with the kind of accomplishments that will ultimately land him in Thoroughbred racing’s Hall of Fame.
He has more than 4,000 wins and nearly $336 million in purse earnings, the latter good for fourth all-time; a single-season record bankroll of $39,193,365 in 2023; 300 or more wins for nine consecutive years; 20 Breeders’ Cup race wins; five Eclipse Award championships and countless riding titles across the country, to name a few.
A 32-year-old native of Puerto Rico, Ortiz can add another significant milestone to his resume by becoming the first rider to lead Gulfstream Park’s Championship Meet jockey standings for a sixth season.
Gulfstream’s 2024-2025 Championship Meet, the country’s premiere winter racing destination, opens its 85-day stand on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, offering a total of 66 stakes, 30 graded, worth $15.025 million in purses highlighted by the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) Jan. 25 and $1 million Florida Derby (G1) March 29.
Ortiz is the two-time defending riding champion and has won five of the last six titles dating back to 2018-2019, his second full winter at Gulfstream. Since 1939 the only other jockey to lead the Championship Meet standings five times is Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, who did it five straight years from 2011-2012 to 2015-2016.
“I didn’t know that. That would be amazing,” Ortiz said. “It would be great if we could win another title. I love riding there. I love to win titles. I love to ride every kind of race when I’m there. It would be very special. I’m definitely going to try to make it happen. I’m going to work hard and hopefully everybody helps me to get it done.”
Ortiz will get an early start to his winter campaign with six mounts on Friday’s program to kick off the final weekend of Gulfstream’s fall Sunshine Meet highlighted by the return of White Abarrio, who he rode to victory in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), in Race 7. He is also named in nine races both Saturday and Sunday.
“I am excited to be back. I love to ride at Gulfstream. I can’t wait to get there. I’m probably going to ship for some races on big days, but I’m looking forward to the winter,” Ortiz said. “New York is home for me, but to be honest when I’m at Gulfstream there is no separation for me. It feels like home.”
Except for 2021-2022, when he missed time with injury and suspension, Ortiz has won at least 101 races every winter at Gulfstream topped by a track-record 140 in 2020-2021. He has averaged 117 wins at the Championship Meet, putting him on track for yet another major achievement – 1,000 Gulfstream wins.
According to Equibase statistics, Ortiz has a record of 883-679-522 from 3,566 career starts at Gulfstream for purse earnings of $46,377,238. In graded stakes, he is 52-45-27 with $17.8 million earned from 225 starts.
Among Ortiz’s 119 Championship Meet-leading wins last winter were 13 stakes including graded triumphs in the Inside Information (G2), Suwannee River (G3), William L. McKnight (G3), Sweetest Chant (G3), Canadian Turf (G3), Honey Fox (G3) and Orchid (G3).
“I’ve been having huge support from everybody down there and I appreciate that. I’m getting big chances,” Ortiz said. “Trainers and owners trust me and they’ve been supporting me the last few years, and I enjoy it. It’s great racing, [and] the people at the racetrack are amazing.”
Represented by agent Steve Rushing, Ortiz has won the Pegasus World Cup (2020, 2022) and Florida Derby (2021, 2023) twice each and the Pegasus Turf four times (2019, 2021-23). He is the fifth and most recent jockey to win a track-record seven races on a single program, Feb. 3, 2023.
Ortiz came to the U.S. in June of 2011 and has been primarily based on the New York circuit, where he won his fifth Saratoga riding title this summer. He had only ridden sparingly at Gulfstream with moderate success before a breakthrough convinced him to relocate for the winters.
“I always did the winters in New York but they have a break in December, like 10 days. I went to Puerto Rico one year and they canceled races for some reason and I told my agent to name me on some horses at Gulfstream,” Ortiz said. “I was on vacation, but I just wanted to ride. I went to Gulfstream for a week and I had a few quick wins. I told him, ‘Name me for the next week.’ I won some races again and I said, ‘I’m not going back.’
“I was like, ‘I love the weather, the people are supporting me and I love it. They’re showing me some love so I’m going to stay for the rest of the winter,’” he added. “I ended up winning a lot of races and I decided the next year I’m coming from Day 1. That’s how we did it. The next year I was there from Day 1 and we won the meet and rest is history. I keep coming there and they always show me the support, and it’s been great.”
Ortiz is in the midst of another spectacular season, ranking first overall in wins (276) and second in purses earned ($30.96 million) behind Flavien Prat. He has led North America in wins and purse earnings every year since 2017 except 2021, when he was second in money won.
In graded-stakes this year, Ortiz ranks second with 33 wins and $13.446 million in purse earnings, with 55 overall stakes wins worth $17.2 million in purses. He has won six Grade 1 races with different horses – Howard Wolowitz in the Franklin-Simpson, Vahva in the Derby City Distaff, Leslie’s Rose in the Ashland, Chili Flag in the Just a Game, Cogburn in the Jaipur and Book’em Danno in the Woody Stephens.
On Oct. 13, Ortiz earned his 4,000th career victory at Keeneland, where he led the rider standings for the first time during its spring meet. He also tied with Gulfstream regular and Davie, Fla. native Tyler Gaffalione for leading rider at Kentucky Downs’ summer turf meet.
“It’s been a great year. We got the 4,000 wins, we tied for the lead at Kentucky Downs and I won the meet at Keeneland for the first time. It’s been amazing,” Ortiz said. “It’s been a great ride. The trainers and owners they support me and my agent does an amazing job. He does his job and I do mine. I try to do my best out there every time for sure. I love riding. I love riding no matter what kind of horse or race I have. I always try to give my best.”
