Ortiz suspended three days for Fountain of Youth ride
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The Gulfstream Park stewards have suspended jockey Jose Ortiz for three days, beginning next Wednesday, for his ride aboard Upstart in last Saturday’s Fountain of Youth. The stewards disqualified Upstart from first to second in a controversial decision following his apparent victory over Itsaknockout in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth.
Although the stewards said a formal ruling on Ortiz would not be released until Sunday, Ortiz’s agent, Jim Riccio Jr., said they told him on Friday morning that his rider’s suspension would run from March 4-6. There is no racing at Gulfstream next Wednesday to accommodate the Fasig-Tipton 2-year-old sale.
“We decided not to appeal the suspension,” said Riccio. “I spoke with the stewards this morning, and they told me the suspension would be from Wednesday through Friday of next week, which really only affects us on Thursday and Friday.”
Ortiz received the days despite the fact that his horse was bumped twice in the stretch run, first by the tiring Frosted and then on the hind quarters by Itsaknockout, prior to bearing out near midstretch of the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth. Upstart went on to win by 2 3/4 lengths over Itsaknockout.
Little Alexis works
Little Alexis continues to progress toward her 2015 debut, working a half-mile in 49 seconds and galloping out five furlongs in 1:02.19 here Friday. Little Alexis has not started since her ninth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, after which she became ill and had a severe allergic reaction at the site of a vitamin injection.
“It took her a while to get healthy again – her neck would blow up from the stress of a breeze when we first brought her back – but she’s 1,000 percent good now,” said owner-trainer Carlo Vaccarezza. “I thought she looked great out there this morning.”
Vaccarezza said he’d like to make the Grade 2 Inside Information with Little Alexis here March 21, “but only if she tells me she’s ready to run at that time.”