Ortiz, Rodriguez team up to pad leads Thursday

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The jockey/trainer combination of Irad Ortiz Jr. and Rudy Rodriguez has been the dominant force this winter at Aqueduct, a trend that figures to continue Thursday when the dynamic duo teams up four times on the eight-race card.

With 60 wins, Ortiz is the leading rider by 15 wins at the inner-track meet that began Dec. 7. He has won 31 races from 90 mounts for Rodriguez, who is the leading trainer for the meet with 37 victories. On four occasions this winter, Ortiz and Rodriguez have teamed up to win three races on a card.

A similar scenario could play out Thursday as Ortiz rides for Rodriguez in the first, third, fourth, and seventh races on a card that begins at 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

In the opener, a $12,500 claimer going a mile, Ortiz will ride Derby Glass, who makes his first start since Rodriguez claimed the 6-year-old gelding for $16,000 on Jan. 12. Derby Glass ran sixth of seven that day.

In the last six months, Rodriguez is 21 for 39 first off the claim, with a $3.61 return on investment. He is 12 for 23 first off the claim at this inner-track meet, though most of those wins have come in sprints.

Derby Glass could get a favorable pace setup with Marble Falls and Blue Pigeon likely to battle on the front end.

In race 3, a $20,000 claimer, Rodriguez will send out Margarita Sunrise, who enters off a third-place finish in a $25,000 claimer on Feb. 2. The first- and second-place finishers from that race came back to run first and third last Friday in a $32,000 claimer.

In race 4, Rodriguez starts Mewannarose first off the $40,000 claim in a six-furlong race. Mewannarose is extremely tough when able to secure a clear early lead, something he appears poised to do Thursday. His major threat looks to be Dad’z Laugh, a former Rodriguez trainee who was claimed for $20,000 two starts back by Oscar Barrera III.

In the day’s feature, a first-level allowance for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies, Rodriguez sends out Cha Cha Heels, who finished fourth in the Maddie May Stakes on Jan. 29. In that race, Cha Cha Heels took a lot of dirt as she raced last of six while on the inside, directly behind horses. Prior to that race, she won an off-the-turf maiden race by nine lengths going a one-turn mile over the main track.

Cha Cha Heels figures to stalk Verdant Pastures, a 7 3/4-length front-running maiden winner Jan. 27, her first start around two turns.