Belmont Park: Jose Ortiz injured in closing-day spill; Dominguez, Dutrow win meet titles

Jockey Jose Ortiz was taken to North Shore University Hospital on Sunday complaining of back and shoulder pain as a result of a spill in the eighth race of Belmont Park’s closing-day card.

There was a second spill on the card in which jockey Cornelio Velasquez was uninjured after being thrown from his mount, Salsa Mambo, leaving the gate in the ninth race.

However, Salsa Mambo had to be euthanized after she ran around the turf course and crashed through a rail. Salsa Mambo was the ninth racing-related fatality of the Belmont meet, according to the New York State Racing and Wagering Board’s database.

Ortiz was injured when his mount, Destination Moon, clipped heels with a horse in front of him at the half-mile pole of the eighth race. Ortiz went flying over the head of Destination Moon, who was reported to be okay.

Ortiz, a five-pound apprentice and the brother of Irad Ortiz Jr., had a solid Belmont meet, riding 14 winners from 165 mounts.

Ramon Dominguez who went winless on Sunday’s card, won his third straight Belmont riding title with 70 winners. Javier Castellano, who rode three winners Sunday, finished second with 60 wins. They were followed by Jose Lezcano (43), Rosie Napravnik (35), and Junior Alvarado (34).

Richard Dutrow Jr. won his fourth Belmont spring/summer trainer’s title, this year with 27 wins. Christophe Clement finished second with 22, followed by Rudy Rodriguez (19), Chad Brown (17), and David Jacobson (17).

Ken and Sarah Ramsey finished as the leading owner with 11 wins, followed by Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence (9), Phipps Stable (8), and Mike Repole (8). James Riccio, Darley Stable, and Drawing Away Stable finished in a three-way tie for fifth with seven wins.

Racing moves to Saratoga beginning Friday. First post is 1 p.m.