Ortiz was fined $1,000 and both riders were put on probation. I don't want any trouble going forward,” Lopez said. The fight was captured on a video that shows Ortiz landing at least three punches on Lopez following the fourth race Friday at Gulfstream. That there was a fight between Ortiz and Lopez was first reported by the Daily Racing Form's Mike Welsch. That’s not a lot to ask.After scuffling Friday at Gulfstream Park with Irad Ortiz, Jr., which caused him to be put on probation for the remainder of the meet, Paco Lopez told the TDN Monday he is ready to move on. “When’s the last time something was done to support jockeys financially? You’re talking one share for guiding a horse through the finish line safely. “This is an industry that’s very set in its ways,” Gonzales said. There could be legal dust-ups as the ones with the most dollars latch on to a few more. How would California handle out-of-state riders. There are other flies in the ointment, as with almost anything.Ī breeding-share incentive is likely to steer top jockeys away from geldings and toward horses with potential earnings as stallions. “What happens if a (jockey) is hurt, has another mount commitment, (is) hurt or suspended? Someone else comes in for one race and gets that? Then the other guy jumps back on after that and (missed out).” If it’s a one-time share, I would almost rather see it go to the groom. “To me, it’s up to the individual owner,” Smith said. Questions would arise, without a doubt, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith said. “I think it’s appropriate and hope everyone does it.” So I thought it was the right thing to do. It’s a breeze, not a race where he’s getting paid. “I was so grateful for the loyalty he showed. “Irad did that all winter long,” Crawford said. In spite of a two-hour roundtrip drive, Ortiz showed up each Saturday at trainer Todd Pletcher’s Palm Beach Downs to breeze Mo Donegal. Innovation and challenging convention is not always embraced, in racing and life.Ĭrawford, of Donegal, said part of it boiled down to the unrelenting commitment of Ortiz. (Gonzalez began with the idea of rewarding all graded-stakes winners but said he would be fine if it included only Grade I races, which number about two dozen a year in the state.) It would help reward jockeys financially, but also incentivize the best - like Flavien Prat and Umberto Rispoli, dominant riders who bolted from Southern California - to rethink big races like Del Mar’s Pacific Classic. The move by Gonzales is two-fold, at its core. “It’s significant, because of the big stage. “Jerry, with one win, with one gesture, put a spotlight on a very important issue,” said Gonzales, whose uncle, “Milo” Valenzuela, rode Kentucky Derby winner Tim Tam in 1958 and DQ-advanced winner Forward Pass in 1968. Gonzales pointed to Donegal’s co-owner and managing partner Jerry Crawford as someone who may begin to reshape a small corner of the sport’s financial structure. Yet, the feet drag.Ĭhange comes glacially in horse racing, particularly when money is involved. The proposal is far from offering jockeys the key to Scrooge McDuck’s vault. The one-time, one-season deal is what Gonzales is promoting in California. A horse with the right lineage and resume might continue to breed at that pace for a decade, churning out untold riches. Owners, meanwhile, rake in the 100-something times the stallion breeds in a season. Some argue it will only benefit elite riders who flock to the most promising horses in marquee races, as the bigger jockey colony chases table scraps.īut here’s what Gonzales and Donegal Racing members are talking about: Ortiz received the right to pair Mo Donegal with a mare until realizing a viable foal, or sell that right. Some will say it infringes on the property rights of owners, who invested in realizing the purse. It’s simply cracking open the door so those who put a bow on big-race dreams benefit in the same way as trainers, who routinely receive far larger breeding-rights deals for winning top races. What Gonzales is pushing and promoting is far from some radical idea.
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