It’s five for fighting for Irad Ortiz Jr.
The 27-year-old Puerto Rican jockey won five races at the Saratoga Race Course on Thursday, equaling his feat of a year ago.
He won the second, fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth races from his eight mounts at the upstate New York track. Last July 31, Ortiz Jr. also won five races.
The victories moved Ortiz Jr. into a tie for second in the jockey standings with his brother, Jose.
Ortiz Jr. was the leading rider at Saratoga in 2015 and 2018.
“When you have the right horses, they make you look good,” he said. “To win five races in one day at any track is so special.”
Ortiz Jr.’s highest-priced winner was in the ninth when Admiral Lynch paid $16.80 to win. He won the NYSSS Statue of Liberty for the second straight year, guiding Fresco to a victory that paid $3.
Hall of Famers Ramon Dominguez and John Velazquez have previously won six races in one day at Saratoga.
