By T. D. Thornton
Irad Ortiz Jr., currently North America's leading jockey based on victories and purse earnings, and first and second in those same categories at the current Saratoga Race Course meet, will serve a three-day suspension Aug. 14-16 stemming from the disqualification of his mount from a win in the seventh race there Aug. 1.
Ortiz waived his right to an appeal, according to an Aug. 6 stewards' ruling posted on the New York State Gaming Commission website.
The race in which Ortiz got disqualified was a 1 3/16-mile $25,000 starter-allowance. He was aboard the 7-5 favorite On a Spree (Speightstown), a gelding who crossed the finish wire first for the third straight race before the stewards placed him second for interference to the eventual runner-up outside the quarter pole.
The Equibase chart stated that from the far turn to the wire, On a Spree “dropped to the rail while asked inside the five-sixteenths pole, beat the runner-up to an inside opening while moving in front of that foe at that juncture, rallied to the lead into upper stretch then kicked clear before being put to a left-handed crop, remained well clear under a drive into the final sixteenth and held while put to lighter encouragement late.
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