The close-knit Ortiz brothers now have something else in common.
Eclipse Award-winning jockey Jose Ortiz said Aug. 2 he is parting ways with agent Jimmy Riccio and has enlisted Steve Rushing, who also represents his brother, three-time Eclipse Award winner Irad Ortiz Jr.
The move will become effective once the third condition book at Saratoga Race Course starts with the Aug. 17 card.
"I've been thinking about this for a while. My business is not what it used to be, and I felt it was a good time to make a change," Jose Ortiz said. "It's never easy to do something like this. I've been with Jimmy a long time, and he's been great. We've done a lot of great things together, and I appreciate all of the things he did for me. But I felt I needed to make a change."
Riccio and Ortiz have been a team since 2012, when the native of Puerto Rico began riding in the United States.
Knowing Rushing through his brother, Ortiz said he is looking forward to working with his new representative.
"I know Steve very well, and we have a good relationship," Ortiz said. "I'm excited about working with Steve, and hopefully we can go on and do great things together."
Riccio said he was disappointed by the move, but is looking forward to finding a new rider to work for and enjoying a similar level of success.
"I was shocked and disappointed, but I think I'm a good agent. We did some great things together, but I know nothing is promised in life," Riccio said. "This is a tough day for me and my family. I didn't see it coming. I thought Jose and I would always be a team. I'll be excited to start with someone who wants to work with me. I hope I can get a chance to do some more good in a game that I love. I guess people can get tired of each other. I appreciate what we did together, but here we are."
Jose Ortiz currently ranks fourth in the rider standings at the Saratoga meet with 13 wins, nine behind his meet-leading brother.
Earlier this year, he won the Preakness Stakes (G1) aboard Klaravich Stables' Early Voting for trainer Chad Brown. It was his second Triple Crown win, adding to Tapwrit 's score in the 2017 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1). He also has five Breeders' Cup wins.
Since he started riding in 2012, Ortiz has won 2,541 races from 13,738 starts with earnings of $206,587,189.
He has 135 wins this year, with earnings of $13,632,382, putting him ninth nationally in wins and fourth in earnings. His brother leads in both categories with 190 wins and earnings of $18,671,245.
The 28-year-old Ortiz was the leading New York Racing Association rider last year with 185 wins. The Saratoga riding champ in 2019, he received the Eclipse Award for the year's outstanding jockey in 2017 when he won 270 races and earned $27.3 million.
