Irad Ortiz Jr has been a name that has taken the horse racing world by storm. He has been around since 2012 when Ortiz first stepped into the New York Thoroughbred horse racing circuit. Over the years, the Puerto Rican jockey has registered a whopping 3000 wins till now. Some of Ortiz’s coveted individual awards include the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey, which he won on five occasions. 

Horse always fascinated Ortiz. Growing up, he had multiple idols, one of which was the Puerto Rican legend Angel Cordero Jr. And now, being touted as one of the favorites to win the upcoming Kentucky Derby, Ortiz has always prioritized his family, without the support of whom, he wouldn’t have tasted such magnitude of success. Thus, it’s pertinent to learn all about Irad Ortiz Jr.’s biggest support system- his family. 

Inside the life and lineage of Jockey Irad Jr.

The Puerto Rican was born on August 11, 1992, to his father, Irad Ortiz Sr., and mother, Vilma Morales Adomo, according to SportsBrief. However, not much information is available about his parents on the internet. He also had a brother, Jose Ortiz, who is also a jockey, and an uncle, named Ivan. However, Irad and Jose’s life took a turn for the good when they met their grandfather, who was a jockey too, and introduced the brothers to Efraim Rosa at Aqueduct. 

Rosa was a well-known face at the New York Racing Association and he was stunned by what he saw. As Rosa guided Jose and Irad to a couple of horses, the brothers’ body language seemed relaxed and they looked like a natural. Well, that was the beginning. 

Rosa, aka, Pito in the circuit made a prediction that turned out to be true later. Speaking about the Ortiz brothers, Rosa stated, “They’re going to win races here, and they’re going to make it in New York… They had God-given ability… It’s something that’s hard to explain. I knew the sky was the limit for them.” 

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Rosa taught the duo the nitty gritty of horse racing and has been a godfather-like stature in both the brothers’ horse racing journey. As per information on the internet, Ortiz Jr. is married to Melissa Betancourt and has a daughter, Sarai, who was born in 2015. Well, even though the Ortiz brothers have been competing against each other for a long time, there is no love lost between them. Reflecting on the matter, the brothers doubled down on their on-field battles. 

Foes inside the field, brothers outside: Heartwarming tale of the Ortiz brothers

Back in 2019, the duo sat down with the Thoroughbred Daily News for an exclusive. During their conversation, the topic of brotherly rivalry was brought up. Clearing the air on the matter, Jose Ortiz stated that it is all professional while on the field. He opined, “Out there, we have to ride for our owners and trainers–there is a lot of money on the line in the game. So Irad rides for his connections, and I ride for mine. If I have to try to race ride him a little bit, I will. And if he has to race ride me, I understand. As long as you do it with class, it doesn’t matter.” 

Jose also credited his father for instilling the fire of pursuing a career of being a jockey. Jose further cited Irad as an example and stated that looking at his brother, the fire inside him raged even more, allowing him to strive towards his dream goal faster.