Ortiz lands stakes triple on Belmont Stakes eve

Last updated: 6/5/15 7:20 PM

Innovation Economy sailed home in the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational
(NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography)

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has the call on Mubtaahij (Dubawi) in Saturday’s $1.5
million Belmont S. (G1), and the young reinsman is hoping to carry his Friday
luck into the third jewel of the Triple Crown.

Oritz piloted three stakes winners on Belmont Stakes eve, ending the day with
a well-timed move on Innovation Economy (Dynaformer) that saw the four-year-old
colt prevail by a half-length in the $250,000

Belmont Gold Cup Invitational.

Red Rifle (Giant’s Causeway) and Comes the Dream (Lion Heart) shared
pacesetting duties up front in the marathon two-mile grass contest. Meanwhile,
Innovation Economy and Oritz settled into a ground-saving trip along the hedge
near the back of the field through much of the race. Ortiz began nudging his
mount when passing the half-mile pole for the second time, and the duo angled
out for the stretch drive.

Unitarian (Pulpit), the 2-1 favorite, had taken command in the lane, but
Innovation Economy was driving down the center of the track and caught that
five-year-old veteran to complete two miles on the firm turf in 3:22.

Innovation Economy was worth $7 as the 5-2 second choice while making his
stakes bow in this spot for owners Klaravich Stables Inc. and William H.
Lawrence.

The Chad Brown trainee took his maiden debut at Belmont Park in October 2013,
went 1-0-0 from three starts last year, and opened his 2015 season with a 3
3/4-length victory going 1 1/2 miles on Keeneland’s grass in late April. The
lightly raced Innovation Economy improved his career mark to read 6-4-0-0 and
doubled his earnings to $272,503 with the winner’s share from his first stakes.

Cocked and Loaded fired in the Tremont
(NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography)

Earlier on the card, Ortiz and Cocked and Loaded (Colonel John) led the way out of the gate in the $246,000
Tremont
S. but fell back to track along the rail behind the dueling Cat Tree
(Discreet Cat) and Paynes Prairie (Tale of Ekati) through opening fractions of
:22 3/5 and :45 4/5.

Rounding the turn, Ortiz angled Cocked and Loaded off the
rail and the bay colt took after Paynes Prairie, who had taken command at this
point up front. Cocked and Loaded collared his rival and had a half-length to
spare over him on the wire as Paynes Prairie battled back on the inside. He
finished 5 1/2 furlongs on the fast main track in 1:04.

“My horse broke sharp on the lead and then slowed down like the trainer told
me,” Ortiz said. “I just followed (his) instructions, ‘Sit him behind the
speed,’ and then when I got clear he took off.”

Campaigned by Richard Raven and Patricia’s Hope LLC, Cocked and Loaded paid
$7.40 as the 5-2 second choice in the seven-horse field. Uncle Vinny (Uncle Mo)
was the even-money favorite amongst the two-year-olds, but was bumped at the
start and never showed anything to finish sixth.

Cocked and Loaded is now two-for-two, having captured his maiden debut for
trainer John Hancock at Keeneland on April 9, and has banked $160,000 in
earnings. The Kentucky-bred bay — who is from the same female family as Grade
1-winning sire Yes It’s True (Is It True), Grade 1 victor Silver Max (Badge of
Silver) and Canadian champion Kiss a Native (Kissin Kris) — was purchased
privately following his debut victory and sent to trainer Larry Rivelli, for
whom he was making first start in this spot.

“He had been training great and I had a lot of confidence in him, which is
why I brought him here from Chicago,” the Arlington-based Rivelli said. “I told
the kid to sit behind horses and he rode him great. I couldn’t have been
happier. He broke so sharp today and was in front and the kid rode a great race
because nine times out of 10 they probably would have wanted to keep him on the
lead. Going 5 1/2 (furlongs) the rider would normally think he’d want to hold
his position, but he buried him back there and then made his move. This horse is
the real deal.”

Cavorting got back to her winning ways in the Jersey Girl
(NYRA/Courtney Heeney/Adam Coglianese Photography)

Stonestreet Stables LLC’s Cavorting (Bernardini) overcame a wide trip in the
$150,000
Jersey
Girl S. to kick off the Friday stakes action with a three-quarter length
victory.

Cavorting broke on top when the gates opened but quickly settled about three
wide near the rear of the tightly packed, seven-filly field as Spark (Speightstown)
led the way through splits of :22 1/5, 44 4/5 and :56 3/5. The Kiaran McLaughlin
trainee was five wide as she swung around the entire field on the turn, and
gradually began making up ground on the leader and 8-5 favorite Enchanting Lady
(Tale of the Cat).

That latter filly gained command in late stretch, but Cavorting ran her down
to stop the clock in 1:09 for six furlongs on the fast main track. She paid
$9.20 for the win as the 7-2 second choice and gave jockey Ortiz his first
stakes win on the program.

“I got a very good trip,” Ortiz said. “My filly was ready today. She broke
real fast and I got my position, and then I sat and followed (Enchanting Lady)
and (Enchantress [Malibu Moon]) and in the stretch I switched to the clear. When
I asked her she just took off and I had plenty of horse.”

Cavorting returned to the winner’s circle in this spot after dropping her
last two starts. The bay lass broke her maiden by 11 lengths as first asking
last July at Belmont, then took the Adirondack S. (G2) a month later at
Saratoga. She closed out her juvenile campaign with a last-of-seven finish in
the Frizette S. (G1) after leading early in that one-mile contest, and was a
well-beaten ninth in the Davona Dale S. (G2) to open her sophomore campaign at
Gulfstream Park on February.

That was the Kentucky-bred filly’s last race, and she now boasts a 3-0-0 mark
from five career starts and $362,000 in lifetime earnings.

“She was great at two and I think we may have tried to lengthen her out a
little too soon,” Stonestreet’s Barbara Banke admitted. “She didn’t really care
for Florida but she loves New York, so she’ll be racing here probably the rest
of the year. She’s back and I’m excited.”

“She’s another one that’s taken a little bit of work because she ran poorly
here in the slop and then at Gulfstream,” McLaughin said. “Luckily, we have
patient owners that allowed us to figure her out. She’s a nice filly. It’s nice
to get her back in the winner’s circle.”

Cavorting is from the
same female line as multiple Group 1-scoring sire Lyphard (Northern Dancer) as
well as Grade 1 winners Another Review (Buckaroo), No Review (Nodouble),
Nobiliary (*Vaguely Noble) and Urbane (Citidancer).

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