HENDERSON, Ky.— Meet-leading trainer John Ortiz is hoping his big Ellis Park meet — through Friday, his eight wins are one more than North America’s all-time leader Steve Asmussen — gets bigger by adding on a stakes victory. He’s got multiple stakes-winner Mr Dumas, winner of Canterbury Park’s Mystic Lake Mile in his last start, in the $100,000 Henderson Turf Mile. Reylu Gutierrez has the mount on the 3-1 morning-line favorite.
“He’s doing fantastic,” Ortiz said. “He ran a tremendous race at Canterbury. It was my first start there, and it was very successful. I loved it up there. Now we’re back home. He’s been at The Thoroughbred Center (in Lexington), where he likes it. It’s a little quieter for him. He’s a horse that likes to train pretty aggressively in the mornings. He’s just a horse who likes to run, so we’re here to hopefully get the job done here.
“When the horse is right, he looks like a brand-new copper penny. He’s beautiful, his coat. He’s as healthy as he can be. That’s that I like the day of the race, to just know my horse is at his best.”
Ellis Park Press Release
Photo: Mr Dumas winning Canterbury Park’s Mystic Lake Mile (Coady Photography)
