Irad Ortiz Jr. stays red-hot with four wins, including three stakes

A day after he won five races at Colonial Downs, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. won four Wednesday, including three of the five Virginia-restricted stakes on the closing-day Colonial card.

Ortiz capped his Virginia stint riding Boldor to an upset win over 11-10 favorite Grateful Bred in the $154,000 Meadow Stable Stakes, a race in which his ride made all the difference. While Grateful Bred got hung out four paths deep with no cover around the turn, Ortiz and Boldor followed that move, drafting in Grateful Bred’s wake before Ortiz slipped his mount outside and overpowered Grateful Bred in deep stretch, winning by one length.

Boldor hadn’t won since Sept. 1, 2021, when he captured the Punch Line Stakes at Colonial. On Wednesday, he paid $16.20 after running 5 1/2 furlongs on a firm course in 1:02.10. Steve Asmussen trains Boldor, a gelded son of Munnings and Senate Caucus, by Siphon, for Ed and Susie Orr. Boldor was bred in Virginia by Carlos Moore and Gillian Gordon-Moore.

Ortiz’s other stakes wins were more predictable as Sendero paid just $2.40 winning the $129,000 Jamestown, a Virginia-restricted turf-sprint stakes for 2-year-olds. Sendero, trained by Todd Pletcher, had finished second in a Virginia maiden race making his career debut July 18, but was second to none Wednesday beating Bee Mountain by 2 3/4 lengths. Sendero, by City of Light out of Trishas Even, by Even the Score, ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.60. Sendero is owned by Harrell Ventures and was bred in Virginia by Knockgriffin Farm.

:: DRF Bets members get FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic. Join now!

Ortiz was a passenger as much as a pilot on Wolfie’s Dymghost, a front-running three-length winner of the $151,000 Bert Allen Stakes. Racing for the first time as gelding, Wolfie’s Dynaghost made a comfortable lead and set an even, moderate tempo, going his first half-mile in 48.04 seconds before completing 1 1/16 miles on turf in 1:42.62. Largent, the strong second choice, managed second but was no match for the odds-on winner, who paid $3.20. Tom Albertrani trains Wolfie’s Dynaghost, a 4-year-old son of Ghostzapper and Dynaire, by Dynaformer, bred and owned by Woodslane Farm.

It was not Ortiz but Feargal Lynch who rode Spun Glass to victory in the $155,000 Camptown Stakes. Lynch gave the 13-10 favorite a patient, clever ride, awaiting room on the inside at the quarter pole rather than tipping wide then the chance presented itself. Spun Glass ($4.60) came between horses at the eighth pole and ran down game pacesetter Rambert by three-quarters of a length. Trained by Michael Trombetta for her breeder, R. Larry Johnson, Spun Glass is a 5-year-old mare by Hard Spun out of Allwewantforxmas, by Songandaprayer.

And in the tightest stakes finish of the day, it was Tass by a nose over Unruly Julie in the $155,000 Nellie Mae Cox. Tass covered the grassy 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.48 and paid $15.20 while ridden to a pace-pressing victory by Victor Carrasco. A 6-year-old mare by Temple City out of Masasi, by More Than Ready, Tass is trained for owner Matthew Schera by Carlos Martin. She was bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm.