Saturday, November 24, 2012

JOCKEY IRAD ORTIZ, JR. BRUISES BACK IN FRIDAY FALL AT AQUEDUCT

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., who fell from his mount during Friday’s eighth race at Aqueduct, sustained a bruised lower back and will remain at Jamaica Hospital overnight for observation. Diagnostic tests showed no fractures.


“The scans were clean, but he bruised his back pretty good,” said Tony Micallef, Ortiz’s agent. “He’ll probably be out a couple of days. They’re going to keep him overnight just for observation.”

Ortiz, 20, was unseated when his mount, Irish Lion, was forced inward by Runaway Jim and subsequently clipped heels with Economic Summit. Runaway Jim was disqualified from fifth and placed last for interference in the 1 1/16-mile turf claiming event for 3-year-olds and up.

A native of Puerto Rico, Ortiz has been riding on the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) circuit since June 2011. At the conclusion of racing on Friday, Ortiz had ridden seven winners from 59 mounts during Aqueduct’s fall meet, good for a sixth-place tie in the jockey standings with apprentice Wilmer Garcia.

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