Though he will spend the final weekend of the 2025-2026 Championship Meet honoring out of town commitments, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. put the finishing touches on an expected record-extending seventh riding title Sunday at Gulfstream Park.
The 33-year-old Ortiz won aboard Brian Lynch-trained favorite Zakinthos ($4.60) in Race 5, a maiden special weight for 3-year-olds, and finished the country's premier winter meet with 82 victories from 312 mounts, holding a 19-win lead over runner-up Tyler Gaffalione (408 mounts) with just four racing days remaining.
It will be the fourth consecutive Championship Meet riding title for Ortiz, one shy of the track record set by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano between 2011-2012 and 2015-2016, and seventh overall. Last winter, Ortiz became the first jockey to win the riding title for a sixth time.
"I'm happy. It's been a great meet," Ortiz said. "I'm thankful for the huge support as always from all the trainers and owners. I'm happy to have been able to win another title here. It's amazing. My agent does a great job. I'm just happy and glad to be here."
Represented by Steve Rushing, Ortiz will finish second to Gaffalione with $3.94 million in purses earned at the Championship Meet. Among his victories are six stakes including the Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) and Mucho Macho Man with Commandment, Forward Gal (G3) with On Time Girl and Fort Lauderdale (G3) with Wolfie's Dynaghost.
On Dec. 13, Jose D'Angelo-trained White Claw Woman gave Ortiz his 1,000th Gulfstream Park winner. Already a five-time Eclipse Award winner, he finished second in balloting for 2025 despite leading the country with 351 wins and setting a North American record with $40,498,792 in purse earnings.
Ortiz missed action last weekend with a sore hip after his mount, A Moment a Love, veered after breaking from the gate and tried to jump the temporary inner rail March 12 at Gulfstream, throwing Ortiz to the turf. He returned to action Saturday at Turfway Park and Sunday was his first day back at Gulfstream.
"It's a beautiful place to be in the wintertime. I love the track. I love the people. I love the people that run the track. I've been coming here for a lot of years and I love it all," Ortiz said. "You have some good prep races and some nice young horses here to try to find the Derby winner. That's where you start the dream, here at Gulfstream."
