With Three BC Wins, Ortiz Jr. Lands Shoemaker Award

Irad Ortiz Jr., who guided three horses to Breeders' Cup victories Nov. 3-4 at Santa Anita Park during the World Championships, won the 21st Bill Shoemaker Award as the event's outstanding jockey. 

The Shoemaker Award goes to the jockey who rides the most winners in the 14 Championship races with the tiebreaker being a 10-3-1 point system for second- through fourth-place finishes.

Ortiz clinched his fifth Shoemaker Award by riding Elite Power   to victory Saturday afternoon in the Sprint (G1), the final Breeders' Cup race of the weekend. Ortiz also rode his other winners Saturday—White Abarrio  in the $6 million Classic (G1) and Goodnight Olive  in the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).

Two riders had two victories each over the weekend: Junior Alvarado and Ryan Moore. Alvarado won Friday's $2 million Juvenile Fillies (G1) on Just F Y I  and Saturday's $1 million Dirt Mile (G1) on Cody's Wish  . Moore won Friday's $1 million Juvenile Turf (G1T) on Unquestionable  and Saturday's $4 million Turf (G1) on Auguste Rodin .

The Shoemaker Award is named in honor of one of the greatest jockeys in the history of Thoroughbred racing. Bill Shoemaker, who captured the Kentucky Derby (G1) four times, won 8,833 races in a career that spanned more than 40 years. In 1987, at age 56, Shoemaker won the Breeders' Cup Classic aboard Ferdinand at Hollywood Park. 

Bill Shoemaker Award winners 

2003: Alex Solis 

2004: John Velazquez 

2005: Garrett Gomez 

2006: Frankie Dettori 

2007: Garrett Gomez 

2008: Garrett Gomez 

2009: Julien Leparoux 

2010: Garrett Gomez 

2011: John Velazquez 

2012: Mike Smith 

2013: Mike Smith 

2014: John Velazquez 

2015: Ryan Moore 

2016: Mike Smith 

2017: Javier Castellano 

2018: Irad Ortiz Jr. 

2019: Irad Ortiz Jr. 

2020: Irad Ortiz Jr. 

2021: Irad Ortiz Jr. 

2022: Ryan Moore 

2023: Irad Ortiz Jr.