GULFSTREAM Irad Ortiz Jr. flees cold, escapes to Florida

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – The Gulfstream Park jockey colony will get even stronger with the arrival of Irad Ortiz Jr., who will begin riding regularly here on Friday.

According to his agent, Steve Rushing, Ortiz just had enough of the cold weather and growing string of weather-related cancellations this winter at Aqueduct in New York. “Irad had originally considered riding at Gulfstream this winter before finally deciding to stay home again this year,” Rushing said. “But a combination of the extreme cold weather, with no relief in sight, and recent cancellations led to the decision to come down earlier than we’d planned.”

Rushing said Ortiz had already planned on riding at Gulfstream during March, when Aqueduct switches to three days a week.

“It’s probably going to take a little time to work back in, since a lot of the calls in the current condition book have already been given out,” Rushing said. Ortiz has already made a major impact on the 2017-18 Championship meeting, winning three stakes on the Clasico del Caribe International card on Dec. 9, including the main event atop Jala Jala. He returned the following week to win two Grade 3 stakes, the Rampart with Lewis Bay and My Charmer aboard On Leave.

Ortiz concluded his best year yet in 2017, leading the nation with 317 victories, with his mounts earning just under $23 million. Ortiz has ridden 1,657 winners since launching his riding career in 2011, while drawing high praise, along with his brother Jose, from one of the legends of the sport, Hall of Famer Angel Cordero Jr.

“I am so proud of what the Ortiz brothers have done in such a short period of time,” Cordero said. “It took me and Johnny [Velazquez] 10-15 years to accomplish what those two have accomplished in just three or four years.”

Cordero said that Manny Franco, whom he represents in New York, could join the Ortizes, Velazquez, Javier Castellano, and Luis Saez in the local colony, at least on a temporary basis, if the temperatures don’t moderate soon up north.

“We’re waiting to see what’s going to happen, but if the weather continues to stay the way it has been and programs continue to be canceled at Aqueduct, I’ll probably bring Manny down here, at least for for a while,” Cordero said.

Franco is the regular rider for Remsen winner Catholic Boy, who is expected to make his 3-year-old debut next month in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

Fly So High looks solid in feature

Fly So High, a runaway maiden winner Nov. 16 at Aqueduct in just her second start, should be the heavy favorite when she makes her 3-year-old debut in Thursday’s $51,000 allowance feature at Gulfstream.

Fly So High, a daughter of Malibu Moon, finished a laterunning third when launching her career going six furlongs at Belmont Park on Oct. 8. She returned with Lasix and stretching out to a mile less than six weeks later, sped right to the lead from her inside post, and steadily increased her advantage to register a 7 3/4-length decision. She received an 86 Beyer Speed Figure.

Fly So High is trained by Shug McGaughey for the Phipps Stable and will have regular rider Jose Ortiz Jr. aboard again in Thursday’s main event, to be run at a mile. Fly So High faces six seemingly overmatched rivals, with Alliya’s Story and Bernadetta perhaps best of a group that also includes Prospective Diva, Miss Katie Bug, Weekend Mischief, and My Favorite Gift.