Jockey Ortiz Jr. Suspended 30 Days
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Irad Ortiz Jr.
New York stewards have suspended jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. 30 calendar days following his ride on Gran Casique in the eighth race Dec. 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Steve Rushing, agent for Ortiz, confirmed the suspension in a text to BloodHorse Sunday evening.
Rushing said the suspension will begin Tuesday, Dec. 7, and that Ortiz does not plan to appeal.
In Friday's eighth race at Aqueduct, a 6 1/2-furlong claiming race, Gran Casique was "angled in with reckless abandon" and bumped Ragtime Blues hard at the five-eighths pole, according to the Equibase chart. The bumping caused Ragtime Blues to lose his rider, apprentice jockey Omar Hernandez Moreno. Gran Casique then led throughout most of the race but was beaten a length at the wire by Crea's Bklyn Law . After a stewards' inquiry, Gran Casique was disqualified from second and placed last.
Both Ragtime Blues and Hernandez Moreno were OK. The apprentice jockey returned to the races Saturday and Sunday at Aqueduct.
Ortiz's ride aboard Mo Donegal in Saturday's Remsen Stakes (G2) was also brought into question. The colt was rallying down the outside in the homestretch and moved in close to Zandon who was on the rail. Approaching the wire Ortiz made exaggerated movements with the left rein near the face of Zandon. Mo Donegal prevailed by a nose in the end. A stewards' inquiry into the stretch run was conducted but the result stood after the officials ruled no change to the order of finish.
Mo Donegal (outside), with Irad Ortiz Jr. up, noses out Zandon to win the Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack
The Daily Racing Form reported that New York state steward Braulio Baeza Jr. said Ortiz's ride in the Remsen "had a part" in the 30-day sanction.
Ortiz, who rode at Camarero in his native Puerto Rico on Sunday, wrapped up the Aqueduct fall meet as the leading rider with 21 wins in 76 starts, including three graded stakes victories on Saturday. In addition to the Remsen, he won the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) on Nest and the Go for Wand Handicap (G3) on Lady Rocket .
He was named to ride five mounts Wednesday at Gulfstream Park and three more mounts there Thursday.
Ortiz received the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey in 2018-20. He is currently the year's leading North American jockey by wins with 333 and the year's second leading rider by earnings with over $29 million.