Irad Ortiz Jr.

Born: Aug. 11, 1992 in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico

Height: 5’3” … Weight: 112 lbs.

Family: Daughter Sarai

Breeders’ Cup Stats: 28-3-2-1 | $3,660,345

• Already considered one of the top young jockeys in the world, Irad pushed his career to new heights at the 2015 Breeder's Cup. Riding Ken and Sarah Ramsey's home-bred Stephanie’s Kitten in the Filly and Mare Turf, he inspired a furious late rally to just get up for the victory, rewarding backers a solid $17 mutual. Ortiz was also aboard Lady Shipman, who was beaten by the slimmest of margins in the 2015 Breeder's Cup Turf Sprint.

• Put up his third victory in the Breeders’ Cup World Championships when he hit the finish line first with Bar of Gold in the 2017 Filly & Mare Sprint,

• Irad Ortiz Jr. rode his first Breeders’ Cup winner when he guided Lady Eli to victory in the 2014 Juvenile Fillies Turf for trainer Chad Brown, for whom he rides often. … Best finish in 2016 was a second aboard Lady Eli in the Filly & Mare Turf.

• Ortiz made his Breeders’ Cup debut in 2012 with three mounts. Belle of the Hall ran fourth in the Filly & Mare Sprint, Poseidon’s Warrior was 14th in the Sprint, and Questing [who was later to have suffered an eye injury] was eased in the Distaff.

• Enters this year's Breeder's Cup ranked 2nd among North American jockeys with 286 wins and $21.1 million in earnings through Oct. 18. He ranks second behind his brother, Jose, who has chalked up $23.6 million in earnings. Among Irad’s biggest 2018 winners are Diversify in Saratoga’s Whitney, Robert Bruce in the Arlington Million and A Raving Beauty in the Stakes at Belmont Park. Last year, he rode Diversify to victory in the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

• Earned his first Triple Crown race victory in 2016 when he guided WinStar Farm’s Creator to victory in the . Was mostly overlooked in the race, but closed from well back aboard the Arkansas Derby champion, returning $34.80.

• Enjoyed an excellent 2015 where he ranked second only to jockey with more than $23 million in earnings. Among his best mounts of 2015 were Grade 1 winners Stephanie’s Kitten, Lady Eli and Cavorting.

• Got off to a phenomenal start to his riding career, with nearly 500 winners and purse earnings of over $23 million in his first two and a half years in the saddle. His first victory came with Wild Logic on Jan. 2, 2011 at Hipodromo Camarero in his native Puerto Rico. He won with 76 of 357 mounts there before coming to the United States in June 2011.

• Won 15 races and nearly $1.8 million purses during the six-week Saratoga Race Course meet in 2012. Among them were his first three career Grade 1 victories, with three-year-old filly Questing in the Coaching Club American Oaks and the Alabama, and four-year-old sprinter Poseidon’s Warrior in the A.G. Vanderbilt.

• Is the latest young rider to be “discovered” by trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who has helped the careers of several young riders including and Fernando Jara. Both those riders won their first Breeders’ Cup races on horses trained by McLaughlin.

• Attended Escuela Vocacional Hipica, a Puerto Rican school for prospective jockeys, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Irad, and uncle, Ivan, who also were riders. His younger brother Jose is also a top jockey on the New York circuit.

• Shortly after his arrival, he was noticed by Pito Rosa, a peace officer who works in the jockeys’ room at New York Racing Association tracks, and who referred him to agent Tony Micallef.

• Ortiz notched his first win on US soil very quickly, on June 24, 2011 with Millennium at Belmont Park. Finished the year ranked 11th among New York-based riders with 70 wins.

• Calls retired Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr., a fellow Puerto Rico native, his idol. Cordero won 7,057 races in his career, and now works as agent for countryman and 2012 Hall of Fame inductee John Velazquez .