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Home » Blog » Irad Ortiz Jr. storms Woodbine

Irad Ortiz Jr. storms Woodbine

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Irad Ortiz Jr.

Irad Ortiz Jr., top jockey in North America last season, bounced into Woodbine this past weekend. And he blitzed the place.

On Sunday, he won both of the Breeders’ Cup Win-and-You’re-In races for 2-year-olds on the grass. He also won a third stakes race, the $200,000 Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs in Kentucky with the highly regarded Dennis’ Moment, winner of his first race by 10 lengths at Ellis Park on Saturday. That gave Ortiz the nod as top jockey of the week on a Jockey’s Guild ballot.

But back to drizzly Woodbine, where a fine mist coated everything. All day. Ortiz didn’t seem to mind.

Ortiz, a third-generation jockey from Puerto Rico, won the $250,000 Summer Stakes on 2 to 1 shot Decorated Invader, a $200,000 yearling purchase trained by Christophe Clement. He’d broken his maiden in his previous start at Saratoga.

His fellow jockeys in the race read like the Who’s Who of jockeydom: British star Jamie Spencer was on British colt Vitalogy, trained by Joseph O’Brien, son of famed Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien; Tyler Gaffalione, who won the Preakness aboard War of Will this year; veteran, leading money-winner John Velazquez, on race favourite Mystic Lancelot, trained by Todd Pletcher; Javier Castellano. And then there was Pablo Morales, all the way here to ride a 109 to 1 shot, Cadet Connelly, an $1,800 yearling purchase who had spent his time at minor tracks, with far more races under his belt.

Cadet Connelly finished second. He had broken his maiden at Woodbine the previous week.

Jamie Spencer, aboard Vitalogy, wearing the claret and gold silks of Qatar Racing. British-bred Vitalogy finished third.
Local star Keep On Trucking was the well regarded at 3 to 1 after winning his first race at Woodbine by 11 3/4 lengths and the Clarendon Stakes by 7 3/4 lengths. Keep On Trucking faded to tenth.
Loving the underdog, Cadet Connolly at 109 to 1, finishing second for trainer Teresa Connolly.

But the star of the show was Decorated Invader, who bumped with Vitalogy leaving the gate, settled in mid-pack and closed three-wide around the final turn. He won by 1 ¾ lengths over the longshot, in a tight battle with Vitalogy, the colt that had come all the way from England and Ireland, seeking a berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Decorated Invader wins with (11) Cadet Connolly finishing second and on the rail Vitalogy.
Decorated Invader with Irad Ortiz heading to the winner’s circle.
Decorated Invader

Ortiz was back two races later, the $250,000 Natalma for 2-year-old fillies, aiming to get to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf event. Aboard Abscond, a 9 to 1 shot, Ortiz was her third rider in three races. She broke like a shot from the outside post to the lead, but ended up in a long duel with Irish filly Walk In Marrakesh, ridden by Jamie Spencer. The finish was so tight, Spencer thought he might have won. (So did I.) But Ortiz had squeaked out the win by a nose.

The 3 to 5 favourite Fair Maiden, a ship-in winner of the Catch A Glimpse Stakes at Woodbine in August, closed resolutely down the middle of the track, but finished a neck back in third while drifting out.

Irish-bred Walk In Marrakesh on her way to the paddock for the Natalma.
Abscond, the eventual winner for her U.S. connections, on her way to the paddock.
Fair Maiden on her way to the post parade, swishing her tail. Aboard is Kentucky Derby winning jockey Flavien Prat.
Riding royalty John Velazquez aboard Secret Stash, an Irish-bred filly trained by Mark Casse. She ended up fifth.
Ortiz going to the track with Abscond.
Jamie Spencer drew the rail for both the Summer Stakes and the Natalma. Here he is with Walk In Marrakesh.
Fair Maiden
Abscond and Ortiz in the post parade.

 

There were only two local riders in the race; Luis Contreras rode 25 to 1 shot Runway Dreamer, while Jeffrey Alderson, on $4,500 yearling purchase Saratoga Vision, was 65 to 1.

It looks like Jamie Spencer on Walk In Marrakesh won, but Abscond pushed her nose in front at just the right time.
Abscond, returning after the win.
Abscond, getting hosed down after the race.
Old Chestnut, winning the $100,000 Ontario Racing Stakes by 3 3/4 lengths for trainer Mark Casse.
Tyler Gaffalione rode Old Chestnut, and also War of Will to win the Preakness Stakes.
Trainer Mark Casse made a rare appearance at Woodbine for this $2.4-million in stakes races. He’s still the leading trainer at Woodbine.

 

 

 

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Filed Under: thoroughbred Tagged With: Abscond, Breeders Cup, Decorated Invader, Irad Ortizs, Jamie Spencer, Natalma Stakes, Summer Stakes, Win and You're In

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