Ortiz Having Early Success at Ellis Park Meet

Only six days into the Runhappy meet at Ellis Park, trainer John Ortiz is off to a quick start with his 4-for-7 record just one fewer win than his total last summer. 

Ortiz, in his sixth full year training horses, said he's putting greater emphasis on Ellis this summer. Last year Churchill Downs was closed for summer training, with Ortiz having horses at Ellis Park but also sending a division to Colonial Downs. With Churchill open for stabling this summer, he's concentrating on Kentucky, where he has horses at Ellis (25), Churchill (20), and The Thoroughbred Center (25) in his hometown of Lexington and with 15 more horses shipping this week into Churchill's Trackside satellite training facility.

"We've prepared for this meet," Ortiz said. "We're very blessed to have a big barnful of 2-year-olds and a lot of maidens this year. We're currently up to 80 horses in training right now. This year, being able to stable at Ellis Park with a big barn and having so many 2-year-olds, I'm taking advantage of being there and focusing on that meet— instead of usually just (shipping around and) finding spots." 

But here's the thing: Ortiz burst out of the gate at Ellis Park without as yet starting one of those 2-year-olds at the meet. The first will be Stone Bridge Farm's Justa Warrior  July 22 and Hooties Racing's Boss Lady Bailey the next day. Expect many more to follow.

Ortiz is 2-for-2 so far this year with 2-year-olds, both wins coming at Horseshoe Indianapolis with horses owned by Millard R. Revocable Trust.

"I think I have a good stock of horses," Ortiz said. "We have very good support from owners. We picked up Mary and Gary West horses. WSS and Hooties Racing and Four G Racing have a nice group of babies coming up. We picked up Stone Bridge Farm. We just have some really nice 2-year-olds, a Justify   filly we're running Friday that I really like."

With 2022 purse earnings of $3,278,677 through July 20, Ortiz already has achieved his most lucrative season to date, $585,000 of it by Bill Simon's Arkansas Derby (G1) runner-up Barber Road , who finished sixth by a total of 4 3/4 lengths in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). With 40 victories, this year Ortiz also is highly likely to blow past his previous high of 53 wins in 2018. That's also while raising the quality of his stable.

Ortiz has some stakes action coming up at Ellis Park, including Mr Dumas  in the $100,000 Evan Williams Turf Mile Aug. 7 and Graysonsmacho Gal  in Ellis Park's Aug. 14 Groupie Doll Stakes. Mr Dumas most recently won Canterbury Park's Mystic Lake Mile. Graysonsmacho Gal, who finished second by a head in the Iowa Distaff, provided Ortiz with two of his five Ellis winners last summer, both in allowance races.