Irad Ortiz Jr. has won four Eclipse Awards for outstanding jockey throughout his career to establish himself as one of racing’s most successful riders. But he’s not one to rest on his laurels. Ortiz once again is the front-runner for North America’s champion jockey on the heels of a 2023 in which he set a single-season record for mount earnings with $39,192,585, led his peers in wins with 366 from 1,560 starts, and captured three individual Breeders’ Cup races, topped by the $6 million Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic. Ortiz was on White Abarrio in the Breeders’ Cup Classic for trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. :: Full list of 2023 Eclipse Awards finalists, including profile stories “He brought me that confidence,” Ortiz told Daily Racing Form. “He had that positive energy. It transferred to me. Every single day he talked to me about how good the horse is doing. He made me trust the horse no matter what.” Ortiz continues to be entrusted with some of the most talented horses in training. He captured the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint with 2022 champion Elite Power and the PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint with 2022 champion Goodnight Olive. The wins were among Ortiz’s tally of 42 graded stakes victories last year, with 15 coming in Grade 1 races. The totals rank first among all jockeys in 2023. Other Grade 1 wins for Ortiz last year included the Curlin Florida Derby with Forte, the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational with Atone, the Resorts World Casino Manhattan with Up to the Mark, and the Just a Game with In Italian. Ortiz won seven consecutive races on the Feb. 3 card at Gulfstream Park. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.