Irad Ortiz rides winners in Swale, Forward Gal

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Irad Ortiz Jr. showed he has no intention of letting the Eclipse Award loose from his grip as the superstar jockey swept the secondary features on the Holy Bull undercard Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Ortiz, who on Jan. 24 was honored at Gulfstream with the first Eclipse of his brilliant career as the outstanding jockey of 2018, emerged victorious on favorites Call Paul and Feedback in twin seven-furlong races for 3-year-olds, the Grade 3 Swale and Grade 3 Forward Gal, respectively.

Call Paul overcame a bit of a tardy start by sweeping past a phalanx of front-runners after turning for home to win the 33rd running of the $150,000 Swale by 1 1/4 lengths over Zenden. He paid $5 after finishing in 1:23.43 over a fast track.

“He broke a step slow, but I didn’t go crazy,” Ortiz said. “I let him get a feel for the race. I got into position and he was there, waiting to go. When I kicked him home he was there for me.”

Call Paul is trained by Jason Servis for the partnership of Michael Dubb, David Simon, Bethlehem Stables, and Bruce Irom. The Pennsylvania-bred son of Friesan Fire now has won four of six starts. This was his second graded score, following the Grade 2 Saratoga Special last August in his second start.

One race earlier, Feedback stamped herself as a viable hope for the Kentucky Oaks when holding off Bye Bye J in the 38th running of the $150,000 Forward Gal, the filly counterpart to the Swale.

Pounded down to 1-2 favoritism in a field of nine, Feedback was prominent from the start, disposing of Fashion Faux Pas before being put to a steady drive to prevail by a half-length. Champagne Anyone closed stoutly up the rail to finish another neck back in third.

Feedback, trained by Chad Brown for Klaravich Stables, returned $3 after finishing in 1:23.51. The daughter of Violence was making just her second career start, having posted an eye-catching romp in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden race in mid-August at Saratoga.

“I’m happy and relieved,” Brown said. “I didn’t really have quite enough works into her to where I wanted to run her quite yet. But looking at the schedule, trying to hopefully get her on the Oaks trail, I figured if we don’t get her started this weekend, it’s going to be hard to get there. So we were a little short on works, but she showed her class today and her ability to overcome it.”

Brown said he would like to get two more preps into Feedback prior to the May 3 Oaks, with the one-mile Davona Dale here March 2 being a logical next target.