Most 26 year olds are still junior-level operatives at companies, searching for ways to set themselves apart from the pack. Not so when you’re one of the top jockeys in the world. Twenty-six-year-old Jose Ortiz, who’s seemingly a win-making machine, notched his incredible 2,000th career victory at Belmont Park in Elmont, NY, on June 11.
Ortiz was aboard Creed in Belmont’s fourth race yesterday, when he reached the mark, which includes 17 wins from his native Puerto Rico and an additional 1,983 in North America beginning in 2012. Those have amounted to $156 million in purses and include a trio of wins in Breeders’ Cup races.
In 2016, Ortiz led all jockeys in victories with 351 and led all other jockeys in 2017 with $27,318,875 in earnings.
Ortiz is the same age as older brother Irad Ortiz, Jr. was when he notched his 2,000th win in 2018.
