LEXINGTON, Ky. – Jockey Declan Cannon said he received more than 100 text and voicemail messages following his breakthrough ride on Verstappen in winning the Grade 2 Elkhorn Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland. “It was great to get a Saturday horse like that,” said Cannon, a 35-year-old native of Ireland. “I was really confident going a mile and a half with him. He relaxed lovely for me. It just couldn’t have worked out better.” The Elkhorn marked the first stakes win for Cannon at Keeneland. Cannon, who began riding races in the United States in 2015, spends most mornings working alongside trainer Brendan Walsh, whose stable has been very productive at the Keeneland meet in winning allowance races with Flirting Bridge, Street Swagg, Reckoning Force, and Viareggio, along with maiden-specials with Loved and Secret Money. Walsh was as tickled as anyone to see Cannon belly down to win the Elkhorn by a head. “Declan does so much for us,” said Walsh. “This is a great reward. We’re thrilled, absolutely.” For Cannon, “the six weeks between the end of Turfway Park and when the Churchill meet picks back up following the Derby can be pretty lonely,” he said. “You just have to hang in there and keep showing up every day. Things do change around here right after Derby, so you have to keep your chin up and try to get the best out of what you’ve got.” :: Bet Keeneland with Confidence: Get DRF PPs, Picks, and Betting Strategies. Shop Now.  Ortiz numbers down It’s an impossibly high bar that champion jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has set for himself. Coming off a sensational winter at Gulfstream Park – which followed a record-setting 2022 during which he earned a fourth Eclipse Award from the past five years – Ortiz has posted numbers at the Keeneland meet to suggest that most every statistic will eventually revert to the mean. Ortiz’s mounts through the first 12 days at Keeneland have returned an average of just 85 cents for every $2 win bet, the lowest ROI for any jockey with at least two winners at this meet and a far cry from what loyal backers of the 30-year-old jockey have become accustomed to. Habitually over-bet by the public, Ortiz has won with 12 of a meet-high 80 mounts, a tally that includes a 1-for-25 span. Through Sunday, 32 of his mounts had been sent away the post-time favorite, with eight of them winning. Heading into the final three days of the meet, Ortiz is third in the local standings with 12 winners, behind Tyler Gaffalione (17) and Luis Saez (14). Ortiz leads in mount earnings with nearly $2.2 million. ◗ Churchill racing officials have begun releasing the names of probable starters for the numerous stakes to be run through Derby weekend. Among the notables likely for upcoming Grade 1 races are Santin in the Old Forester Turf Classic, Cody’s Wish in the Churchill Downs, Secret Oath in the La Troienne, and Matareya (and possibly Goodnight Olive) in the Derby City Distaff. As for some of the Grade 2 races, there’s Rich Strike for the Alysheba, Spendarella for the Distaff Turf Mile, Munnys Gold for the Eight Belles, and Big Invasion for the Twin Spires Turf Sprint. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.