Ortiz brothers sign promotional deal with TVG

TVG, the horse-racing television network and account-wagering operation, has reached sponsorship agreements with leading riders Irad Ortiz and his brother Jose, the company said on Thursday, the second such deal the company has made with jockeys.

Under the deal, the Ortiz brothers, natives of Puerto Rico who have each won an Eclipse Award for top rider, will wear TVG-branded apparel and appear in promotional materials for the company. They will also make special appearances on behalf of TVG and in exclusive content available on the network, the company said.

The deal is for the entirety of 2019, a spokeswoman for TVG, Jessica Paquette, said.

This is the second deal that TVG has struck with a leading rider. In 2017, the company signed a promotional deal with Mike Smith, the Hall of Fame jockey.

TVG also announced that it would hold a second telethon to benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund in April. The first telethon, held in 2018, raised $217,000 for the fund, which provides payments and assistance to jockeys who have suffered catastrophic riding injuries.