Irad ortiz jr. cracked#

But that may explained by the fact Ortiz tends to ride Churchill only on big days, when the competition is tougher. Ortiz’s win rate over the Churchill Downs main track is a bit lower than one might expect, coming in at 15% from 52 rides. But Ortiz elevated his game to an even higher level in 2021 (his most recent year riding at Aqueduct), going 22-for-60 (37%) while winning six graded stakes, including the Carter H. Winner of seven meet titles at Aqueduct since 2012, Ortiz has won a bevy of stakes at Aqueduct, including the 2016 Gotham (G3) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Yet Ortiz has managed to win 197 of his 754 rides at Aqueduct since 2017, producing a stellar 26% win rate. The more races a jockey rides, the harder it is to maintain a lofty win percentage. (G2) winner Mo Donegal, an accomplished colt with a strong chance to challenge on the first Saturday in May. But Ortiz will partner in the 2022 Kentucky Derby with Wood Memorial S.

Irad ortiz jr. cracked#

The Kentucky Derby (G1) has proven elusive Ortiz hasn’t cracked the trifecta from five rides in the Run for the Roses. One by one, Ortiz is adding North America’s richest races to his roster of major wins. In 2019, Ortiz became the first rider to win more than $30 million in a single year, pushing his final tally to $34,109,019. He’s guided several champions to career-defining victories, including Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar. Indeed, Ortiz has led the nation by earnings in three of the last four years, and by wins every year since 2017. (G1)… more than $20 million in earnings every year since 2014… at least 300 winners every year since 2015… 225 graded stakes wins… 66 Grade 1 wins… 14 Breeders’ Cup triumphs… a victory in the Belmont S. His career has already produced an extraordinary array of highlights. It’s hard to believe the 29-year-old from Puerto Rico has only been riding since 2011, first in his homeland and shortly thereafter on the U.S. The raw statistics paint a vivid picture of Ortiz’s dominance.

There’s a reason why Irad Ortiz has won three Eclipse Awards for outstanding jockey.