Irad Ortiz Jr. ties record with six wins on Aqueduct card

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. tied a New York Racing Association record by winning six races on Saturday’s 11-race Wood Memorial card at Aqueduct.

Ortiz, in his third day riding at Aqueduct following a winter at Gulfstream Park where he was the leading rider, won three of the five stakes on Saturday’s program topped by the Grade 1 Carter on Mischevious Alex. He also won the Grade 3 Bay Shore on Drain the Clock and the Grade 3 Gazelle on Search Results.

Mischevious Alex and Drain the Clock are both trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., who Ortiz teamed up with to win the last race on the card, a maiden $40,000 claiming race with Michael’s Bad Boy.

Ortiz, the three-time reigning Eclipse Award-winning jockey, also won race 3 with Great Workout and race 7 with Flighty Lady. This was Ortiz’s first time winning six races on a single NYRA card.

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In his first three days at Aqueduct, Ortiz won 12 races from 22 mounts. He is scheduled to ride at Keeneland next week.

This was the second time in a week that a jockey won six races at Aqueduct. Last Sunday, Eric Cancel won six races on the closing-day program of the winter meet.