When the filly won, McLaughlin retained Ortiz for the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga in what would become Ortiz's first Grade 1 victory. In June 2012, Ortiz got his big break when trainer Kiaran McLaughlin put him on the filly Questing in an allowance race. In February 2012, Ortiz "lost his bug", meaning he was no longer an apprentice and lost the weight allowance given to one. He would finish the year with 151 wins from 1,016 starts. Ortiz rode his first race at Belmont Park on June 17 and won his first American race on June 24 aboard Millennium Jet. Rosa also found an agent for Ortiz and acted as a mentor while Ortiz was settling in. In June, Pito Rosa, who works in the NYRA jockeys' room and was an old friend of Ortiz's grandfather, encouraged Ortiz to come to New York.
#Irad ortiz jr biography professional
Ortiz began his professional riding career at Hipódromo Camarero in Puerto Rico on New Year’s Day, 2011, winning 76 of 357 starts over the following months. Ortiz has a daughter, Sarai, born in 2015. At age 16, Ortiz enrolled in Puerto Rico’s Escuela Vocacional Hípica, a school for prospective jockeys. Growing up, one of his idols was Angel Cordero Jr., the first Puerto Rican jockey to be inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. "We support each other, but you know, when we go out there, we are jockeys," said Jose. His younger brother, Jose Ortiz, is also a leading jockey in New York.
His grandfather, also named Irad Ortiz, was a jockey, as was uncle, Ivan Ortiz. Ortiz was born in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico.
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