Jose Ortiz already in Florida
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jose Ortiz rode Super Surprise to victory in the Biogio’s Rose Stakes last Sunday. It will be his last mount in New York for a while.
Ortiz had previously announced his intention to ride at Gulfstream Park for the month of March, when Aqueduct’s schedule cuts back to three days a week. However, Ortiz is basically riding in Florida full time now. He won a race on both Wednesday and Thursday there and was scheduled to ride there Friday.
After riding Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs, Ortiz on Sunday will begin serving a five-day riding suspension stemming from a careless-riding incident at Aqueduct last November, when he failed to maintain a straight course aboard Big Smile. Big Smile won but was disqualified from first and placed last.
Because he has to sit out five New York racing days and Aqueduct doesn’t run on Wednesday, Ortiz will be permitted to ride at Gulfstream on Wednesday. He will then be out Thursday through Sunday. Ortiz will be at Oaklawn on Feb. 20 before returning to Gulfstream on Feb. 22. He mostly will ride there through Florida Derby Day (April 1) before splitting time between Aqueduct and Keeneland in April.