Belmont Park
Irad Ortiz Jr. might have trouble holding on to top spot
Barbara D. Livingston Irad Ortiz Jr. needed six stitches in his head and five in his forearm after being thrown from his mount and struck by a trailing horse on Thursday.
ELMONT, N.Y. – Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. is the leader in the clubhouse entering the final three days of the Belmont Park spring/summer meeting, but his spot atop the jockey standings is tenuous given he will miss the final week.
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Ortiz will serve out a three-day suspension handed him by the stewards for his ride aboard Publication in the fourth race here on July 1. The horse was disqualified from first and placed fifth for causing interference at the top of the lane.
Ortiz has 57 wins through the first 45 days of the meet. His brother Jose is second with 55.