Ortiz riding in Saudi Arabia for two days
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Irad Ortiz Jr. is taking his talent to Saudi Arabia. For two days, anyway.
Ortiz will be riding Friday and Saturday at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh, according to his agent, Steve Rushing. Rushing didn’t have specifics about whom Ortiz would be riding but noted that he would miss cards at Aqueduct on Thursday through Saturday. He is expected to return Sunday.
Ortiz has been on quite a roll the last three weeks at Aqueduct. Over 11 cards from Jan. 20 through Sunday, Ortiz rode 25 winners from 71 mounts. He had ridden 24 winners from his first 107 mounts during the inner-track meet. Ortiz’s 49 wins give him a 16-win advantage over Kendrick Carmouche for top honors at Aqueduct’s inner-track season, which goes through March 26.