Ortiz Duo Wins First 7 Races on Aqueduct Card

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Photo: Coglianese Photos

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

Apprentice jockey Jose Ortiz won the first three races and brother Irad Ortiz Jr. took races 4 through 7 to give them a sweep of the first seven races Jan. 20 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Ortiz brothers, who have accounted for 13 victories over the past two days at Aqueduct, were shut out in the final two races Sunday.

At the conclusion of Sunday's nine-race card, Jose Ortiz leads the Aqueduct inner track standings with 40 wins, seven more than his older brother, who is second.

Jose, 19, captured race 1 with Bellamy ($3.60), race 2 with Rocket Hero ($9.50), and race 3 with Unbridled Logic ($4.50) before his 20-year-old brother took over.

"We did good, but we rode good horses today," said Jose. "We got lucky, thank God, and the horses won."

Irad Ortiz, who was a finalist for a 2012 Eclipse Award as the nation's outstanding apprentice rider, annexed race 4 with Now and Then ($3.70), race 5 with Bail Out the Banks ($4.40), race 6 aboard Nothing But Air ($9.80), and race 7 with Brigand ($3.40).

Race 7 was the $75,000 Turnofthecentury, a one-mile stakes race for New York-breds 4-year-olds and up.

Jose Ortiz lost his final two races on the card while his brother had no mounts.

The Ortiz brothers won three races apiece a day earlier, with Irad taking the featured event, the $75,000 Evening Attire, aboard Last Gunfighter.
 

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