2022 Eclipse Awards: Irad Ortiz Jr.

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. is in the midst of an outstanding riding career as a three-time winner of the Eclipse Award.

And this past year might have been his best ever in the saddle.

Ortiz set new standards for North American earnings and stakes victories by a jockey in a single season, racked up three Breeders’ Cup wins, captured the Belmont Stakes, and won the Pegasus World Cup Invitational.

For his accomplishments, Ortiz is an Eclipse Award finalist for outstanding jockey of 2022.

Ortiz, a 29-year-old native of Puerto Rico, compiled mount earnings of $37,075,772, which trumped the North American record of $34.1 million he set in 2019.

:: Full list of 2022 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories

Ortiz also led all riders in wins in 2022 with 325 from 1,363 mounts. He captured 80 stakes races on the year to eclipse the record of 76 that the late Garrett Gomez established in 2007.

Of his stakes wins, Ortiz registered 50 of them in graded races, which topped all jockeys in 2022. He also won more Grade 1 races than his peers, with 20.

Those victories included Mo Donegal in the Belmont Stakes, Forte in the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, Elite Power in the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Goodnight Olive in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, Life Is Good in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational, and Colonel Liam in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Turf.

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