IRAD ORTIZ, JR., BOARD MEMBER

Originally from Trujillo Alto in Puerto Rico, Ortiz is a graduate of the Escuela Vocacional Hípica, a school for prospective jockeys. His grandfather, also named Irad Ortiz, was a jockey, and so are his uncle, Ivan Ortiz, and brother, Jose Ortiz.

Ortiz began his professional riding career at Hipódromo Camarero in Puerto Rico on New Year's Day, 2011, winning 76 of 357 starts over the following months. His first career win in the United States was at Belmont Park aboard Millennium Jet in June of 2011. In 2013, Ortiz had a mount in his first Belmont Stakes aboard Incognito, a Kiaran McLaughlin trainee preparing for the Triple Crown race. Irad Ortiz Jr. won his first Breeders’ Cup race in 2014 aboard Lady Eli.

In 2022, Ortiz broke the all-time record for stakes wins by a jockey in a single calendar year and set a single-season earnings record for North American jockeys. He has won the Bill Shoemaker Award as top jockey at the Breeders’ Cup World Championships five times. The award is given to the most outstanding jockey at the World Championships, who won the most races in the 14 World Championship events. Ortiz, Jr. is a five-time winner of the Eclipse Award as Outstanding Jockey, winning over 3,000 races in his career. He is currently North America's leading jockey based on victories and purse earnings. Ortiz currently resides on Long Island with his three daughters Sarai, Saeli, and Salomé.