'Irad is riding terrifically,' Pletcher said, 'and he has a good rapport with this horse and knows him well.' 'He let me know how good he was,' Ortiz said.įorte's trainer, Todd Pletcher, likes what he's seen from the pair, too. And he responded.įorte rallied from the middle of the pack and powered past Cave Rock to win by 1 1/2 lengths. That is, until the Breeders' Cup Juvenile race in November at Keeneland. Steve Asmussen: After stunning defeat in 2022, decorated trainer resumes chase for first Kentucky Derby winĮven after Forte won three of his first four races, Ortiz said he wasn't sure what the colt was made of. 'He was one of a kind': Secretariat's legacy remains untouched 50 years after Triple Crown Forte's running style, he said, is 'all his own.' We know he can do it.'įorte doesn't remind Ortiz of any horse he's ever been around. 'It gives you an extra confidence, I think. In his seven career starts, all with Ortiz as jockey, he boasts six victories. Things have worked out with Forte so far, though. Doing that in the Derby? It doesn't work out that way.' 'Sometimes you're in a position you don't want to be, and maybe you hesitate - like you pull your horse out early just to hold your spot or something. … If you have the horse, you can get there,' he said. It's eluded him to this point in six Derby starts, his best finish is fourth (Improbable, 2019). From the time he became a jockey, Ortiz said, he's dreamed of etching his name into Derby lore.

Irad ortiz jr biography