Jose Ortiz hoping to return from wrist injury in spring

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Jose Ortiz has been fitted with a splint for his fractured right wrist and said he expects to miss at least four weeks of riding.

Ortiz, the 2017 Eclipse Award winner for top jockey, suffered the injury in a post-parade accident Saturday at Gulfstream. He had been scheduled to ride this weekend in Saudi Arabia, but according to a Tuesday post on his Twitter account, Ortiz won’t be able to ride at least until late March or early April, when the Keeneland spring meet gets under way.

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“Considering all the possibilities, I am truly blessed,” he wrote. “A small fracture on the outside of my wrist. Splinted for 4 weeks and vigorous physical therapy. See you in a month, better than ever!!”

Regardless of the exact return date, it looks as if Ortiz will be fully healthy in time for the May 2 Kentucky Derby. He was the most recent rider of such top 3-year-olds as Maxfield, Independence Hall, Structor, and Basin.