Jose Ortiz surprise regular at Keeneland's fall meet

It’s not uncommon for the top New York jockeys to ride all or most of the Keeneland spring meet in April since many are in transition from a winter at Gulfstream Park prior to the start of Belmont Park. But with Belmont open in October, most of them tend to stick closer to home while Keeneland runs its fall meet, save for occasional stakes engagements.

That’s part of what makes Jose Ortiz being here rather unusual. It’s a feather in Keeneland’s cap for the leading jockey at the 2016 Saratoga meet to be on hand. Ortiz, who blew open a tight race with his older brother, Irad Ortiz Jr., and Javier Castellano to top the Saratoga standings with 65 winners, will ride at least the first two weeks of the Keeneland meet.

“It’s an opportunity to expose Jose to another world-class meet,” said his agent, Jimmy Riccio. “We were coming to ride the opening-day stakes anyway, and from there, I just started asking around, and the response was great. We love New York, and it’s home, but we felt like this is a great time to try Keeneland and gain more business nationally.”

Ortiz, a 22-year-old native of Puerto Rico, ranks second nationally in 2016 in both wins (274) and mount earnings ($17.7 million). He is engaged to fellow New York jockey Taylor Rice.

Spinster, Bourbon on Sunday

The last two stakes of the FallStars Weekend will be run Sunday, with I’m a Chatterbox the favorite in a small field of fillies and mares in the Grade 1 Spinster and a sizable field of 2-year-old turf horses likely for the Grade 3 Bourbon.

I’m a Chatterbox, trained by Larry Jones, blew out for the 1 1/8-mile Spinster with a five-furlong work in 59 seconds here Tuesday under regular rider Florent Geroux. The 4-year-old I’m a Chatterbox most recently was fourth behind Cavorting, Curalina, and Forever Unbridled in a rugged renewal of the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga.

“You take those four horses, run them in 10 races on 10 different tracks, every horse will win a race because those four are so good,” said Jones. “No horse is going to dominate.”

Rematch on tap in QE II

Looking a little deeper into the meet, an alluring rematch is on tap in the final Grade 1 race, the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on Oct. 15. Time and Motion and Catch a Glimpse, the one-two finishers in the Aug. 21 Lake Placid at Saratoga, will meet again in the 1 1/8-mile QE II.

The following Saturday, Oct. 22, will feature the Grade 2 Raven Run, with Lewis Bay and Lucy N Ethel among the probable starters.