By KEVIN OKLOBZIJA
Irad Oritz, the best jockey in the nation, will be riding morning line favorite Looms Boldly in the $50,000 Ontario County Stakes on Monday afternoon at Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack.
Ortiz is one of only five jockeys to win the Eclipse Award as the outstanding rider at least four times and currently leads the country in victories and purse earnings.
He was named to ride Looms Boldly by trainer Brad Cox after the colt’s regular pilot, Manny Franco, opted to stay aboard Acoustic Ave, the second choice in the morning line.
Franco, who ranks eighth nationally in victories, had ridden Looms Boldly in all six career starts. But he also has been aboard Acoustic Ave for each of five career starts, including victories at Finger Lakes in the Aspirant Stakes and New York Breeders’ Futurity in 2022.
Acoustic Ave, trained by Christophe Clement for Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, will be making his 2023 debut in the six-furlong sprint for state-bred 3-year-olds.
Looms Boldly has already made four starts this year, including a victory in the $97,000 Damon Runyon Stakes on March 19 at Aqueduct. The son of Goldencents out of the Forestry dam See the Forest has won two of four starts this year and is 3-for-6 lifetime.
Ortiz, arguably the country’s best jockey for most of the past decade, won the Eclipse Award in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022. Only Jerry Bailey with seven and Laffit Pincay Jr. with five have won the Eclipse Award more times than Ortiz.
A 30-year-old native of Puerto Rico, he also has led the nation in victories the past six years, and his resume includes two wins in the Belmont Stakes and 14 in the Breeders’ Cup.
While some of the greatest jockeys in the history thoroughbred racing have ridden at Finger Lakes, including Hall of Famers Bill Shoemaker, Pat Day, Angel Cordero and Jorge Velasquez, rarely do they ride at the Farmington track during the prime of their career.
Over the past six years, Ortiz wins at a 21-percent clip aboard horses trained by Cox.
The Ontario County is the eighth race on a nine-race program, with first post at 1:15 p.m. Eight 3-year-olds are entered in the feature race, where Looms Boldly has been installed as the 2-1 favorite. Acoustic Ave, with a series of steady works dating back to May 10 in preparation for his season debut, is listed at 5-2.
Dr. Kraft is the third choice at 4-1, with the colt’s regular jockey, Jacqueline Davis, aboard for trainer Chris Englehart.
The Ontario County serves as a prep race for the $150,000 New York Derby, which will be run at a mile and 1/16th on July 17. Ironically, John Davila Jr., the perennial leading rider at Finger Lakes and two-time defending Ontario County champion jockey, does not have a mount in the race.
Ortiz also is listed to ride Dancers for Token for trainer Jonathan Buckley in the seventh race, an allowance/optional claiming event with a purse of $26,000.
Free past performances are available for every racing day on the Finger Lakes website.
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