I was telling him how it is: Uphill, downhill, long stretch.” “He really wants to go,” said Jose Ortiz, who said Irad missed last year’s meet because of a suspension for a riding infraction. Jose Ortiz, who will be riding for the fourth year at Kentucky Downs, said during last year’s meet that he’s been urging his brother Irad to fit Kentucky Downs into his annual circuit. In addition, Hall of Famers John Velazquez and Castellano, who between them have ridden only a handful of races at Kentucky Downs, will ride the entire meet after coming to Kentucky for Churchill Downs’ rescheduled Derby Week.Īfter Saratoga’s summer meet ends Labor Day, Irad Ortiz, two-time Kentucky Downs defending riding champion Jose Ortiz and Rosario will ride the remaining five days. Plus, jockeys tell me just how much fun it is to ride this course as a change of pace from always turning left around an oval.”Īmong the top riders participating at Kentucky Downs for the first time will be Hall of Famer Mike Smith, two-time defending Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz, rising California star Umberto Rispoli and Joe Talamo, who relocated from California to Kentucky this year. At $2 million in average daily purses, you don’t even have to win for coming here to be a profitable venture. “It’s not only our lucrative purses, but because we have averaged about 11 horses a race in recent years, there are lots of opportunities for riders instead of just a handful of jockeys dominating. “We already had one of the most talented riding colonies in the world, but this year it’s going to be absolutely incredible,” said Ted Nicholson, Kentucky Downs’ senior vice president and general manager. Nine of America’s top 10 riders by 2020 purse earnings will be at Kentucky Downs (in order of purse ranking): Irad Ortiz, Joel Rosario, Tyler Gaffalione, Luis Saez, Ricardo Santana, Flavien Prat, Jose Ortiz, Javier Castellano and Florent Geroux. The top seven riders in victories at Saratoga heading into Thursday’s racing are all confirmed for at least part of the meet. Averaging $2 million a day in purses, Kentucky Downs is luring the most accomplished riders from New York and California along with the already deep Kentucky colony. 18 and California’s Santa Anita Park opening Sept. The track will be the laser focus of American racing after Saratoga and Del Mar close on Labor Day, with New York’s Belmont Park not opening until Sept. Kentucky Downs leads North America in average field size, and this meet figures to lead 2020 in the number of world-class jockeys riding those horses. The RUNHAPPY Meet at Kentucky Downs kicks off on Labor Day, Sept. (Thursday, July 27, 2020) - Kentucky Downs’ deep jockey colony is getting even deeper for the six-date run of all-grass racing that offers among the richest purses in the world.

Irad ortiz jockey