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José Ortiz started in fifth place riding the Early Voting horse in the 147 edition of the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore. The Puerto Rican managed to claim victory in the event that was held this Saturday and where two other Puerto Rican riders were present such as Irad Ortiz and John Velázquez.
The triumph of the Puerto Rican jockey over Early Voting was given above Epicenter, who initially started as the favorite to win the race. Ortiz’s victory left a total of $1.65 million dollars in prize money.
José Ortiz’s first victory in the Preakness Stakes
For José Ortiz this was his first victory in what represents the second leg of the Triple Crown of horse racing in the United States. It should be noted that in the year 2022 the Puerto Rican finished in fourth place over the Good Magic horse.
Despite the efforts of the favorite specimen, Epicenter, who tried to arrive with an insufficient final stride, Early Voting did not lose focus and obtained the long-awaited result for Puerto Rico and Latin American horse racing that adds another triumph after a few weeks ago the Venezuelan Sonny León won the Kentucky Derby.
It should be noted that the Venezuelan did not participate with Rich Strike, which implies that there will not be a triple crowned again for the fourth consecutive year. Feat achieved only by 13 horses.
However, there were nine horses that participated in the important fair, which remained very close until the moment in which Early Voting was able to take off and cross the finish line as the winner.
A dream come true
For José Ortiz the victory in the Preakness Stakes was a dream come true, which is why he couldn’t hold back his tears with emotion and taking into account that his mother and father were watching the race and his wife was also present at the racetrack.
Speaking to Exacta Box, José Ortiz stressed that they had been preparing the horse so that it would not get used to to run from end to end. In the same way, he revealed that the horse had only three races and just in his fourth competition he is already the winner of such an important event for American horse racing as the Preakness Stakes.
Furthermore, he stated that he was able to take the horse where he wanted and he felt very relaxed. With a satisfied face, the Puerto Rican described it as an incredible experience to have achieved such an important victory in his career.
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