HALLANDALE BEACH - St. Elias Stable’s homebred Rated by Merit, undefeated in three starts, will continue his quest to sweep the Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds by accredited Florida stallions in the $300,000 In Reality on Saturday, Nov. 30 at Gulfstream Park.

    Trained by Michael Yates, Rated by Merit tops a of field of nine in the 1 1/16-mile In Reality, which will be his first attempt at going two turns. The son of Battalion Runner has won his races by 19 ¾ combined lengths, starting with a 9 ¾-length debut triumph on July 13.

    Rated by Merit opened the FSS series taking the six-furlong Dr. Fager by 6 ¼ lengths on Sept. 7, then followed up with a 3 ¾-length score in the seven-furlong Affirmed on Oct. 19. His 99 Beyer Speed Figure from that race is the highest assigned to a 2-year-old this year.

    Eight horses have swept the series for 2-year-olds since it was launched in 1982: Awesome Strong (2022), Three Rules (2016), Fort Loudon (2011), Jackson Bend (2009), Big Drama (2008), Sir Oscar (2003), Express Tour (2000) and Seacliff (1995).

    Rated by Merit drew Post 1 and will have regular rider Jesus Rios aboard. Also entered are Neoequos and Classic of Course, respectively second and third in the Dr. Fager and Affirmed; Affirmed fifth-place finisher Lou; Gulfstream maiden debut winners Emmett and Latch the Hatch; and maidens Oleg, Just Relax and Roar of the Beast.

    The $300,000 My Dear Girl for 2-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles is topped by Averill Racing’s R Morning Brew, who lost for the first time in three starts when third in the seven-furlong Susan’s Girl on Oct. 19. Before that, the daughter of Curlin’s Honor graduated by 4 ½ lengths in her debut on Aug. 9 and cruised by 5 ½ lengths in the six-furlong Desert Vixen on Sept. 7.

    R Morning Brew, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., will break from Post 5 in a field of seven.

    Leading the rivals are Troy Johnson and Maritza Weston’s Win N Your In (Post 6), winner of the Aug. 10 Sharp Susan that handed R Morning Brew her first loss in the Susan’s Girl after running third in the Desert Vixen; and LNJ Foxwoods and Church Street Stable’s Stunner (Post 1), a front-running winner of two straight for trainer Brad Cox capped by the one-mile Tempted Nov. 2 at Aqueduct.

    Kip the Distance, twice stakes-placed including a second in the Susan’s Girl; Bee a Queen, third in the Sharp Susan; Nov. 10 Gulfstream maiden winner Fede and maiden My Denysse complete the field.

Big Paradise Always in Control in $65,000 Juvenile Sprint

    Alex and JoAnn Lieblong’s Big Paradise was in total control throughout the 6 ½ furlongs of Saturday’s $65,000 Juvenile Sprint while registering a 2 ¼-length victory in the stakes for Florida-bred juveniles. The son of The Big Beast broke alertly under Irad Ortiz Jr. to take an early lead, shook off an inside challenge from Most Handsome, and drew away to a comfortable victory as the 1-2 favorite.

    “He’s another The Big Beast that can run,” trainer David Fawkes said.

    While providing Ortiz with his third winner of the day in the Race 6 feature, Big Paradise set fractions of 22.41 and 45.73 seconds for the first half mile on his way to a final clocking of 1:18.03.

    Big Paradise broke his maiden at first asking Sept. 28, rallying from off the pace to prevail by a half-length. The company proved a little too tough in the $200,000 Affirmed, the seven-furlong second leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series won by undefeated Rated by Merit. The homebred colt was a forward factor early before settling for fourth in the race in which Rated by Merit earned the highest Beyer Speed Figure (99) of all 2-year-olds this year. Noble N Magical finished second, 6 ½ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Nothingsubtle.

 

                   

    HALLANDALE BEACH - Since his first domestic win more than 13 years ago, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has put together a career littered with the kind of accomplishments that will ultimately land him in thoroughbred racing’s Hall of Fame.

    He has more than 4,000 wins and nearly $336 million in purse earnings, the latter good for fourth all-time; a single-season record bankroll of $39,193,365 in 2023; 300 or more wins for nine consecutive years; 20 Breeders’ Cup race wins; five Eclipse Award championships and countless riding titles across the country, to name a few.

    A 32-year-old native of Puerto Rico, Ortiz can add another significant milestone to his resume by becoming the first rider to lead Gulfstream Park’s Championship Meet jockey standings for a sixth season.

    Gulfstream’s 2024-2025 Championship Meet, the country’s premiere winter racing destination, opens its 85-day stand on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, offering a total of 66 stakes, 30 graded, worth $15.025 million in purses and highlighted by the $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) on Jan. 25, and $1 million Florida Derby (G1) on March 29.

    Ortiz is the two-time defending riding champion and has won five of the last six titles dating back to 2018-2019, his second full winter at Gulfstream. Since 1939 the only other jockey to lead the Championship Meet standings five times is Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, who did it five straight years from 2011-2012 to 2015-2016.

    “I didn’t know that. That would be amazing,” Ortiz said. “It would be great if we could win another title. I love riding there. I love to win titles. I love to ride every kind of race when I’m there. It would be very special. I’m definitely going to try to make it happen. I’m going to work hard and hopefully everybody helps me to get it done.”

    Ortiz will get an early start to his winter campaign with six mounts on today’s program to kick off the final weekend of Gulfstream’s fall Sunshine Meet highlighted by the return of White Abarrio, who he rode to victory in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), in Race 7. He is also named in nine races both Saturday and Sunday.

    “I am excited to be back. I love to ride at Gulfstream. I can’t wait to get there. I’m probably going to ship for some races on big days, but I’m looking forward to the winter,” Ortiz said. “New York is home for me, but to be honest when I’m at Gulfstream there is no separation for me. It feels like home.”

    Except for 2021-2022, when he missed time with injury and suspension, Ortiz has won at least 101 races every winter at Gulfstream topped by a track-record 140 in 2020-2021. He has averaged 117 wins at the Championship Meet, putting him on track for yet another major achievement – 1,000 Gulfstream wins.

    According to Equibase statistics, Ortiz has a record of 883-679-522 from 3,566 career starts at Gulfstream for purse earnings of $46,377,238. In graded stakes, he is 52-45-27 with $17.8 million earned from 225 starts.

    Among Ortiz’s 119 Championship Meet-leading wins last winter were 13 stakes, including graded triumphs in the Inside Information (G2), Suwannee River (G3), William L. McKnight (G3), Sweetest Chant (G3), Canadian Turf (G3), Honey Fox (G3) and Orchid (G3).

    “I’ve been having huge support from everybody down there and I appreciate that. I’m getting big chances,” Ortiz said. “Trainers and owners trust me and they’ve been supporting me the last few years, and I enjoy it. It’s great racing, [and] the people at the racetrack are amazing.”

    Represented by agent Steve Rushing, Ortiz has won the Pegasus World Cup (2020, 2022) and Florida Derby (2021, 2023) twice each and the Pegasus Turf four times (2019, 2021-23). He is the fifth and most recent jockey to win a track-record seven races on a single program, Feb. 3, 2023.

    Ortiz came to the U.S. in June of 2011 and has been primarily based on the New York circuit, where he won his fifth Saratoga riding title this summer. He had only ridden sparingly at Gulfstream with moderate success before a breakthrough convinced him to relocate for the winters.

    “I always did the winters in New York but they have a break in December, like 10 days. I went to Puerto Rico one year and they canceled races for some reason and I told my agent to name me on some horses at Gulfstream,” Ortiz said. “I was on vacation, but I just wanted to ride. I went to Gulfstream for a week and I had a few quick wins. I told him, ‘Name me for the next week.’ I won some races again and I said, ‘I’m not going back.’

    “I was like, ‘I love the weather, the people are supporting me and I love it. They’re showing me some love so I’m going to stay for the rest of the winter,’” he added. “I ended up winning a lot of races and I decided the next year I’m coming from Day 1. That’s how we did it. The next year I was there from Day 1 and we won the meet and rest is history. I keep coming there and they always show me the support, and it’s been great.”

    Ortiz is in the midst of another spectacular season, ranking first overall in wins (276) and second in purses earned ($30.96 million) behind Flavien Prat. He has led North America in wins and purse earnings every year since 2017 except 2021, when he was second in money won.

    In graded stakes this year, Ortiz ranks second with 33 wins and $13.446 million in purse earnings, with 55 overall stakes wins worth $17.2 million in purses. He has won six Grade 1 races with different horses – Howard Wolowitz in the Franklin-Simpson, Vahva in the Derby City Distaff, Leslie’s Rose in the Ashland, Chili Flag in the Just a Game, Cogburn in the Jaipur and Book’em Danno in the Woody Stephens.

    On Oct. 13, Ortiz earned his 4,000th career victory at Keeneland, where he led the rider standings for the first time during its spring meet. He also tied with Gulfstream regular and Davie, Fla. native Tyler Gaffalione for leading rider at Kentucky Downs’ summer turf meet.

    “It’s been a great year. We got the 4,000 wins, we tied for the lead at Kentucky Downs and I won the meet at Keeneland for the first time. It’s been amazing,” Ortiz said. “It’s been a great ride. The trainers and owners they support me and my agent does an amazing job. He does his job and I do mine. I try to do my best out there every time for sure. I love riding. I love riding no matter what kind of horse or race I have. I always try to give my best.”

    Before the 1979-80 season opened at what was then called Florida Downs, track president Sam F. Davis hired the late veteran turf writer, David Goldman, as his advertising and marketing director. In those days, before the advent of simulcasting, the track in Oldsmar was averaging less than $300,000 a day in handle, and Davis sweetened the pot: he told David that if he could get the average up to $300,000, there would be a $10,000 bonus on closing day. 

    With two weeks remaining in the meeting, after Goldman had introduced many innovations, the track was averaging just under $310,000 and the bonus appeared to be a cinch - until fate intervened. The long line of cars heading north on I-75 each day as the snow-birds headed home killed the attendance, and the final average dropped to $297,000, give or take a few bucks. Sam's bonus turned out to be a hot dog and a drink.

     Tampa Bay Downs opened its 2024-25 meeting yesterday and the Bay area bettors haven't done much in 44 years - attendance was just 2,430 and on-track handle a meager $153,659. However, while the '79-80 programs had races with purses like $2,800, the purses for yesterday's nine-race opener reached $239,500. 

    The early '90s addition of simulcasting changed everything. The upgrade of every facet of Tampa Bay Downs in the era of owner Stella F. Thayer, including exciting racing, a superior turf course, and a spate of graded stakes headed by the Tampa Bay Derby, brought new bettors from every state into the fold and the handle has exploded. Inter-state wagering (ISW) yesterday reached $2,601,681, and the total handle for the day was $2,848,598.

    Samy Camacho, leading rider in Tampa for the past four years and five times in all, was the hero of the day, winning with Goddess Minerva ($6) in the first race, Feast ($4.80) in the third, Bounteous ($9) in the seventh, and Velocissima, who lit up the board at $60.60 in the eighth. Apprentice Sara Hess ($10.60) took the fifth with Singsational by 2 3/4 lengths. 

    With the slimmed down schedule for the early part of the meeting, they're off today and Friday and they'll do it again Saturday.