With double the number of stakes victories of any other jockey last week, Jose Ortiz was voted Jockeys’ Guild Foundation Detox Jockey of the Week for September 3-8, 2019. The award is voted on by a panel of experts for riding accomplishments by members of the Jockeys’ Guild, the organization which represents more than 950 riders in North America. Jockey of the Week is sponsored by FoundationDetox.com, America’s #1 Equine Toxin Remover.
Jose Ortiz was the only jockey to win four stakes last week, all at Kentucky Downs. On Saturday, he won half of the four graded stakes offered, first with a wire-to wire-win in the $500,000 Three Chimneys Ladies Turf Stakes (G3) aboard Ms Bad Behavior ($16.60). Two races later, he won the $1,000,000 Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup (G3) with Zulu Alpha ($6.20).
During the Sunday card, Ortiz swept the $350,000 Fifth Third Insurance Dueling Grounds Oaks with Princess Carolina ($3.60) and the $600,000 Exacta Systems Dueling Grounds Derby with Social Paranoia ($3.00).
In addition, he also won the Claiming Crown Tiara Stakes prep with Arabella Bella ($4.20) and was second in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint Stakes with Chimney Rock and in the Claiming Crown Emerald Stakes with Dontblamerocket.
Ortiz is the current leading jockey at Kentucky Downs with eight wins, three more than Florent Geroux, Julien Leparoux and Adam Beschizza, who are tied with five wins each. He was the leading jockey in 2018 with nine wins and finished third in the Kentucky Downs rider standings in 2017.
With $1,842,396, Ortiz was the leading jockey by total earnings. Of his total earnings last week, he earned $1,433,240 in stakes races alone. His earnings in 2019 have reached $22.8 million, and he has scored $146 million in his career to date.
Ortiz was the second leading jockey by number of races won last week, with eight wins, and he finished in the money on two-thirds of his mounts. He has 210 victories so far this year and is 1,893 for 10,251 lifetime.
Voters also supported Marcelino Pedroza this week; Pedroza led all North American jockeys by number of wins, including a six-win day at Indiana Grand on Thursday. Pedroza had seven mounts on the card and finished second in his only loss.
Due to racing schedules on the Labor Day Monday holiday, statistics used for this week’s ballot included Tuesday, September 3 through Sunday, September 8.
Jockey of the Week is sponsored by FoundationDetox.com, America’s #1 Equine Toxin Remover. For your horse to bounce back quicker, remove the toxins from their body. Add Foundation Detox to their Diet! Order Now at FoundationDetox.com.
JockeyTalk360.com spotlights the riders across North America and around the world who may be the bravest, toughest and most accomplished of all athletes. The Jockeys’ Guild Jockey of the Week is selected by a vote of representatives of TVG, America’s Best Racing, The Daily Racing Form, Equibase, Horse Racing Nation, The Jockeys’ Guild, The Paulick Report, The Thoroughbred Daily News, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, Thoroughbred Racing Associations, Turf Publicists of America and Racing Stats & Info on Twitter.
