Jose Ortiz takes Belmont riding title by one win over his brother
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ELMONT, N.Y. - It came down to the last race of the 38-day meet, but Jose Ortiz held on to win the Belmont spring/summer riding title by one, 59-58, over his brother Irad Ortiz Jr.
On the strength of four-win days Friday and Saturday, Jose Ortiz held a 59-55 lead over his brother entering Sunday’s final program. Several of Jose Ortiz’s prime mounts were vet scratches, leaving him with five mounts on the card, and he went winless.
Meanwhile, Irad Ortiz Jr. won with three of his first four mounts to pull within one with two mounts remaining. He looked like a winner in the stretch of race 8, but his Dontmesswithtess was run down by 12-1 Stellar Mars. Ortiz then finished last in the ninth and final race aboard, coincidentally, One for My Brother.
Jose Ortiz, who finished with 59 wins from 246 mounts, won his fourth Belmont title, all since 2016. In 2021, he won by two, 59-57, over his brother.
“It was pretty fun and great,” Ortiz said. “I worked very hard in the morning, I received very good opportunities from the owners and trainers and I’m very grateful for that.”
Ortiz won his biggest race of the meet Saturday when he captured the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby aboard Far Bridge.
Irad Ortiz did finish first in purse money won with $5,457,984. Jose was second with $4,921,926.
Rounding out the top five in wins were Manny Franco (31), Flavien Prat (24) and Dylan Davis (23).
Jose Ortiz rode 25 wins at the meet for Linda Rice, who finished as leading trainer in wins with 34, six more than Chad Brown. It was Rice’s first outright Belmont spring/summer title. She shared the 2011 title with Todd Pletcher. Rice’s $1,996,693 in purse earnings ranked fifth.
Brown led all trainers in purse money won at the meet with $3,686,604.
Rounding out the top five in wins were Mike Maker (19), Todd Pletcher (18) and Christophe Clement (17).
Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables led all owners in wins with 11 followed by David Jacobson (7), Winning Move Stable (7), and four groups with six including Michael Dubb, Paradise Farms Corp., Madaket Stables and A. Bicano Holding Limited.
Godolphin Stable led all owners in purse money with $1,434,388, Klarman was second with $1,358,078.
Racing moves to Saratoga on Thursday.
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