Gulfstream News & Notes: Irad Ortiz Jr. Gets No. 100 During Four-Win Friday

By David Joseph —-

GULFSTREAM TODAY 2.22.19

Irad Ortiz Jr. Gets No. 100 During Four-Win Friday
Rainbow 6 Carryover Jackpot Grows to $249,414 for Saturday
$100,000 Hal’s Hope (G3) Tops Three Stakes on 13-Race Program

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Eclipse Award champion Irad Ortiz Jr. continued his recent hot hand by riding four winners including his 100th of the 2018-19 Championship Meet Friday at Gulfstream Park.

The 26-year-old native of Puerto Rico hit the seasonal milestone with 1-2 favorite Matzo Bella ($3) in the Race 6, a five-furlong turf sprint for maiden 3-year-old fillies. He also took Race 3 aboard 4-5 top choice Battle of Memphis ($3.80), Race 7 on 9-5 favorite Livin a Dream ($5.80) and Race 11 on 7-5 betting choice Mo’s Ride ($4.80).

“It feels great. We’re doing so good right now,” Ortiz said. “My agent [Jay Rushing] does a great job and the owners and trainers help me a lot. They give me a lot of chances, so I just enjoy and do the best I can.”

Ortiz has registered 30 wins over the past nine racing days to overtake two-time defending champion Luis Saez as the meet’s leading rider. Ortiz, who accepted his first career Eclipse in last month’s ceremony at Gulfstream, now has put together nine consecutive multi-win days, including a six-win afternoon Feb. 18.

“It’s been very hot the last couple weeks. I’m so blessed right now,” Ortiz said. “I don’t think I’ve ever done this before, to be on that kind of roll. I’m just enjoying the moment and I’m so happy.”

In 2017-18, his first full winter at Gulfstream, Ortiz ranked second in both wins (101) and purses ($4.8 million), and became just the fourth rider in track history to reach 100 wins following Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, Paco Lopez and Saez. Winner of a meet-record 137 races last winter, Saez has been out serving a pair of unrelated five-day suspensions.

Ortiz now holds a 102-84 lead over Saez in the jockey standings, and also ranks first with more than $6.7 million in purse earnings.

Rainbow 6 Carryover Jackpot Grows to $249,414 for Saturday

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 went unsolved for the sixth consecutive racing day Friday, growing the carryover jackpot to $249,414.03 for Saturday’s 11-race program.

First race post time is noon.

A total of $184,512 was bet into the popular multi-race wager, which began with a carryover of $205,137.61 from Thursday’s card. Multiple tickets with all six winners Friday were each worth $153.10.

The carryover jackpot is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Since the 2018-19 Championship Meet kicked off Dec. 1, the Rainbow 6 has been hit
seven times, most recently for a $227,505.88 payout Feb. 15.

All three stakes on Saturday’s program will be part of the Rainbow 6 sequence (Races 8-13). The $75,000 Melody of Colors for 3-year-old filly sprinters going five furlongs on the grass kicks off the stakes action in Race 9, and is followed by the $100,000 Hal’s Hope (G3) for older horses at one mile in Race 11 and the $75,000 Texas Glitter for 3-year-olds, also a five-furlong turf sprint, in Race 12.

Who’s Hot: Jockey Emisael Jaramillo visited the winner’s circle three times Friday, aboard Dance Till Dawn ($13.20) in Race 1, Gran Paraiso ($17.20) in Race 5 and High Flying Guy ($5.80) in Race 9.

Rainbow 6 Carryover: $249,414.03

Gulfstream Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; XpressBet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry. For more information contact David Joseph at david.joseph@gulfstreampark.com or call 954.457.6451.