Ortiz, Rosario serving out suspensions

ELMONT, N.Y. – With Saratoga on the horizon, jockeys Irad Ortiz Jr. and Joel Rosario have dropped appeals of suspensions and will miss a few days this week.

Ortiz, who suffered a contusion of his right hand in a spill last Friday – a mount he picked after Rajiv Maragh went down – began serving five days Sunday. He will miss racing Wednesday and Thursday and be back Friday. Ortiz was suspended for a careless-riding incident in the first race June 26.

Ortiz entered the final week of the meet with a 52-48 lead over Javier Castellano in the jockey standings. Last year, the two finished in a dead heat for leading-rider honors at the spring-summer meet.

Rosario, the fourth-leading rider at the meet with 36 wins, will serve a three-day suspension beginning Wednesday for a careless-riding infraction dating back to the third race May 23.

– additional reporting by Mike Welsch