Ortiz Rides 5 Sunday; Closing in on 100 Victories

Saturday, April 16, 2022

Bernies Blog

HALLANDALE BEACH - Three-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. is scheduled to make an Easter Sunday visit to Gulfstream Park, where he is named on five horses on the 10-race program.

Ortiz is named to ride Rohan Crichton-trained Forest Survivor, 5-2 in the morning line in a 5 ½-furlong optional claiming starter allowance on Tapeta in Race 2; Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Ticket to Heaven, rated at 9-2 in a mile $35,000 maiden claimer for 3-year-old fillies on turf in Race 5; Todd Pletcher-trained In the Union, rated second at 5-2 in a mile optional claiming allowance for 3-year-olds on turf in Race 6; Daniel Pita-trained Famous Gent, rated at 4-1 in a 5 ½-furlong allowance for state-bred on Tapeta in Race 9; and Joseph-trained Ken Loves Kitten, a first-time starter rated at 7-2 in a mile maiden claiming race on turf in Race 10.

The 29-year-old superstar entered today’s program at Keeneland with 97 wins in 2022, one behind Luis Saez’s leading total of 98. He has a clear lead in purses won with more than $7 million.

Ortiz, who had captured three-straight Championship Meet titles before finishing second behind Saez at the recently-concluded Gulfstream winter meet, edged Saez in the purses-won standings, $5.05 million to $4.99 million, after riding Life Is Good to victory in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational.

Rainbow 6 Jackpot Hit

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool was hit for a $220,289 payoff today. The multi-race wager had gone unsolved for six days. A single ticket with the winning combination of 2-2-9-2-11-5 was sold.

. The Rainbow 6 will start anew on Sunday, when the six-racing sequence will span Races 5-10, featuring a mile optional claiming allowance on turf in Race 6 and a 5 ½-furlong allowance for Florida-breds on Tapeta in Race 9. Danny Gargan-trained Riot House, who came off a nine-month layoff to break his maiden March 12, is rated at the 2-1 in the morning line in Race 6, in which Todd Pletcher-trainee In the Union is scheduled to slated to make his turf debut. Owner/trainer Louis Roussel III sends out Heals the Soul, his first starter of the Spring/Summer Meet, in Race 9. The 4-year-old son of Maclean’s Music recently came off a five-month layoff to win a five-furlong turf sprint at Fair Grounds last time out. Eddie Plesa Jr.-trained Nerve is set to make his first start since finishing second in the Hollywood Beach at five furlongs on turf last September.