Irad Ortiz Jr. to serve five-day suspension

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Irad Ortiz Jr., the superstar jockey who leads both the national and local standings in wins in 2021, will begin serving a five-day suspension Saturday, March 13, and will be inactive until he returns next Saturday at Fair Grounds for the big Louisiana Derby card.

Ortiz was suspended by the Gulfstream stewards for his ride aboard Passion Plus in the second race March 5. Passion Plus, a 6-year-old mare trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., bumped a rival at the top of the stretch when angling out and went on to win the one-mile turf race for $16,000 conditioned claimers. She was not disqualified.

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Ortiz, 28, has been voted the Eclipse Award for top jockey each of the last three years. His 128 wins are tops at the championship meet, which began Dec. 2, and his 103 wins in 2021 are the most in North America.