Irad Ortiz Jr.

'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Chasten (Into Mischief) won her third race of the 2026 season when she ran off to a powerful 6 1/4-length score in Delaware's Obeah Stakes on Saturday. Chasten, who earned TDN Rising stardom when winning her sole start at two in a seven-furlong test at Churchill Downs, was two-for-two kicking off her 4-year-old campaign with an allowance score at the Fair Grounds in January before adding another notch to her belt with a track-record setting victory in Colonial's one-mile Sandy Bottom Stakes on Mar....

It's been nearly six months since Alex and JoAnn Lieblong's homebred Reef Runner (g, 5, The Big Beast--Paradise Bay, by Blame) has competed on these shores (a win in the Janus Stakes at Gulfstream in December), but he hasn't been idle. He brought a G2 1351 Turf Sprint win home from Saudi Arabia and barely missed the top three in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai. On Saturday at Saratoga, he showed international competition made him razor sharp and ready for the GI Jaipur Stakes on Belmont Stakes Day....

Todd Pletcher will have the likely favorite in the GI Belmont Stakes in GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Renegade (Into Mischief) and a live longshot in Powershift (Constitution). He knows how to win the race--he's done it four times. Might this be his fifth? Those were among topics Pletcher addressed when he joined the team on this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Gainesway Guest of the Week. Breaking from the dreaded post one in the Derby, Renegade was slammed at the start and it took...

Pin Up Betty (Constitution) may have been looking for a repeat in the GIII Old Forester Mint Julep Stakes, but it was Full of Run Racing II LLC and Frank Silva's Sweet Treasure (f, 4, Twirling Candy--Stellium, by Empire Maker) who led every step of the way to capture the 1 1/16-mile turf contest on Stephen Foster Preview Day at Churchill Downs Saturday. It marked the dark bay's first stakes score. Despite Pin Up Betty--with her distinctive blinkers--breaking sharpest of all, it was Sweet Treasure from the farthest outside post...

The historically unrewarding inside post position--now winless in 41 years--kept Renegade from being favored in the GI Kentucky Derby. But the adverse gate draw and some jostling both after the break and in the final stages didn't keep this hard-charging Into Mischief colt from barreling home with a tenacious late run that, in many years, would have been good enough to win the first leg of the Triple Crown. The connections of Renegade (like 15 other Derby participants) predictably bypassed the May 16 GI Preakness Stakes. After breezing a half-mile...

The 3-year-old sprint division just keeps getting better. Deep Flame (c, 3, Into Mischief--Barbadia, by Speightstown) looks like another major player in the stacked division following a head-turning, seven-length maiden victory over older horses at third asking at Churchill Downs May 17. The Juddmonte homebred sat a press-and-pounce trip beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. and stopped the timer for six furlongs in a sharp 1:08.96. He earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure. He was previously a well-beaten second behind next-out Lafayette S. winner Trouble Calling (Dialed In) on debut for Brad...

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) was back in the news earlier this month when the HISA Board of Directors ruled that there would be no change to the status quo when it came to the rules regarding Lasix. That decision came after HISA commissioned a number of studies to look into the effects of the medication. To discuss the Lasix decision, another drop in the number of fatalities, the controversies surrounding why so many pre-race vet reviews are leading to scratches, the HERF initiative and more, HISA CEO...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' On Time Girl (Not This Time) cut back in distance beautifully for a second graded stakes success in Friday's GII Eight Belles S. at Churchill Downs. Drawn widest of all in post nine, the 9-5 favorite raced in striking distance in sixth through a half-mile in :45.48. She began to catch the eye while winding up four wide on the far turn and powered home down the center to win by 1 1/2 lengths over Luv Your Neighbor (Constitution). A sharp...

The annual GI Kentucky Derby post-position draw isn't so much about landing a favorable gate assignment as avoiding a poor one. The task for the fast-closing Renegade got quite a bit tougher on Saturday when the flashy son of Into Mischief drew the historically unrewarding inside post for the May 2 Derby. Much of the pre-race speculation will focus on whether or not Renegade can overcome a starting stall that has not yielded a Derby winner since 1986, when the 17-1 Ferdinand got bumped to the back, rallied wide, then...

The 2026 Keeneland Spring Meet concluded Friday with jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., trainer Brad Cox and owner Godolphin topping their respective categories. Ortiz, Jr. defended his Fall Meet title from 2025 with 22 wins, earning five more than Flavien Prat (17). Luis Saez and Jose Ortiz tied for third with 15 apiece. Ortiz, Jr.'s biggest wins of the meet came with a pair of Grade I's in the Toyota Blue Grass and the Resolute Racing Madison Stakes. Brad Cox secured his ninth training title, recording 17 wins from 43 starts....

Final Story (Candy Ride {Arg}) came up a narrow second at 4-1 while trying this distance at Gulfstream on Mar. 14 and was installed the 1-2 choice to go one better here. Sent quickly to the front by Irad Ortiz Jr., the bay carved out opening splits of :22.91 and :45.71. Dispensing of 13-1 chance Radar Lock (Dialed In) straightening for home, the Gary and Mary West homebred ran off to score by six lengths. Out of GI La Brea winner Book Review, the winner is a half to Regal...

In what was no doubt a difficult decision, jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. has committed to riding GI Arkansas Derby winner Renegade (Into Mischief) in the GI Kentucky Derby. Ortiz was also the regular rider of GI Blue Grass Stakes winner and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Further Ado (Gun Runner). It's possible that the two will be, in some order, the first and second choices in the Derby. The news on Ortiz's pick, as well as other jockey commitments made to other key Derby contenders, was first reported by...