Fresh Off Top Florida Weekend, Ortiz Brothers Look Ahead

Authors: The Ortiz Brothers, Emily Shields

The Ortiz brothers had a very successful Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs on March 9, with Jose winning the Challenger Stakes on gutsy Flameaway and the Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) on Tacitus. Irad finished third in the Tampa Bay Derby with Win Win Win, but also won the Hillsborough Stakes (G2) on Rymska (Fr) and the Columbia Stakes on Digital Age (Ire). Their combined record at Tampa Bay Downs on Saturday was 16: 4 – 3 – 3, riding predominantly against each other.

Gulfstream Park’s leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. began a five-day suspension today, March 13, meaning he will miss the major action this weekend.

After winning the 39th edition of Tampa Bay Derby with Tacitus, Jose Ortiz will ride Jersey Agenda for local trainer Steven Asmussen in the second division of this year’s $750,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park on March 16. The race split due to the influx of entries from California after Santa Anita was closed for several weeks.

Jersey Agenda is two for four lifetime and has already won over this course this year before finishing eighth in the Southwest Stakes (G3) for another rider.

Jose’s top prospect of the weekend is on trainer Bill Mott’s Elate, who returns to action this Saturday at Oaklawn Park in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2). “She’s one of my all-time favorites,” said Jose Ortiz. “I won my first grade 1, the Alabama Stakes, and my second grade 1, the Beldame, with her. I’m very excited having her back to racing.”

Elate is in against a tough crowd including Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner Shamrock Rose and grade 1 winners Midnight Bisou and Eskimo Kisses. She is, however, a $1.4 million earning daughter of Medaglia d’Oro who has finished top three in 10 of 12 lifetime starts.

She isn’t the only interesting prospect to be piloted by Jose on Saturday. He will ride Cowboy Diplomacy in the third race – a maiden special weight – for trainer Brad Cox. The full brother to 2018 Champion Three Year Old Filly Monomoy Girl was unveiled to much hype on February 8, where he finished second. The horse who defeated him that day, Captain Von Trapp, is running in the second division of the Rebel Stakes later on the card against Jersey Agenda.