Irad Ortiz Jr.'s record quest hits a speed bump

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Irad Ortiz Jr.’s attempt at setting North America’s single-year record for stakes wins stalled last week when he went 0 for 10 in stakes conducted at Aqueduct. Ortiz entered the Thanksgiving weekend stakes-fest with 76 stakes victories, tied with Garrett Gomez, who set the record in 2007.

Ortiz had a couple of second-place finishes, including aboard Highest Honors in Saturday’s Grade 2 Red Smith.

Ortiz will be at Aqueduct on Saturday for its four-stakes program. Among his mounts are White Abarrio in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile and Dr B in the Grade 3 Go for Wand.

Ortiz has won 48 graded stakes this year, leaving him seven shy of Jerry Bailey’s mark of 55 in that category set in 2003.

According to Equibase, Ortiz has ridden 302 winners in 2022, the eighth consecutive year he has surpassed the 300-win total. He has already set a single-year record for earnings by a jockey with $35,722,314.

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