Ortiz, Jacobson take NYRA titles

Irad Ortiz Jr. led brother Jose in the 2014 NYRA jockey standings (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) Irad Ortiz Jr. earned his first year-end riding title, with David Jacobson securing his third consecutive training title on the New York Racing Association’s circuit in 2014. Ortiz, 21, won 278 races worth $18.6 million in 2014, achieved at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga, including Grade 1 scores aboard Sweet Reason in the Acorn at Belmont and Test at Saratoga. Along the way, he picked up riding titles at Aqueduct’s inner-track meet; Belmont’s spring/summer meet, which he split with Javier Castellano; and Belmont’s fall meet, which he won outright. “It’s great,” Ortiz said. “We’re blessed that the trainers and owners give us the opportunity. For next year, we’re just going to work hard and try to improve on this year.”

Irad’s brother, Jose Ortiz, was second with 226 wins, while Cornelio
Velasquez finished third with 177 wins.

Jacobson’s 133 wins dominated the trainer standings in 2014, finishing more
than 30 wins ahead of his closest competitor, Todd Pletcher. En route to his
third consecutive title, Jacobson cleaned up at Aqueduct, where he won titles
for the inner-track and fall meets.

Putting an exclamation point on his phenomenal year, Jacobson sent out Big
Business to victory in the last stakes race of the year — the $100,000 Alex M.
Robb for New York-breds — and also captured the Toboggan with Candyman E, the
Hollie Hughes with Be Bullish, the Tom Fool with Strapping Groom, and the Fall
Highweight and Gravesend with Salutos Amigos.

“It’s a great ending to the year and tomorrow we have to start all over
again,” said Jacobson, who also finished third in the owner standings, and
earned in excess of $6.5 million as a trainer.

It was a photo finish for second in the 2014 trainer standings with Pletcher
winning 99 races, Rudy Rodriguez taking home 98, and Chad Brown finishing with
97.

Michael Dubb was the leading owner with 75 wins and earnings of $4.4 million,
well ahead of runner-up Drawing Away Stable (54) and Jacobson (42).

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