Page 15 - December 2015

G.R. Carter Jr., Alvin “Bubba” Brossette, Danny Cardoza, Eddie Garcia and John Creager.
“I felt the support for sure, but no pressure,” said Ortiz before hitting the new mark. “Since I began my career, I never thought about num- bers. It has always been just one win at a time.”
The 52-year-old Ortiz grew up in Pleasanton, Texas, and began riding in 1978 in his home state. His career has been filled with highs and lows from stakes wins to devastat- ing injuries, but he has persevered and amassed earnings of more than $33.3 million. He won his first stakes race in 1991 and rode World Champion Tailor Fit, Champions Kool Kue Baby and Vals Fortune, as well as other stakes winners. He’s faced the starter more than 20,000 times.
In 2012, Ortiz received the Sam Thompson Memorial Jockey Award, and at Evangeline Downs, Ortiz was presented a belt buckle to commemorate his 3,000th win.
CHARITABLE GIVING
Gilbert Ortiz reached his milestone win after fighting through many injuries, includ- ing a shattered leg, broken back and more. His sheer determination got him back in the saddle
when doctors gave him little hope. Jockeys are amazing athletes and put their lives on the line each time they ride onto the track.
It’s that time of year when many people are looking for the perfect gift to give their loved ones and also for year-end giving tax deductible purposes. If you have someone on your list that is blessed and doesn’t need another tie to add to the collection or other gift that will collect dust, consider honoring them with a donation to a worthy charity. You won’t have to look far to find an organization in the horse industry that works to make the lives of horses and humans better.
Sam Thompson is a jockey who lost his
life because of a racing accident. His friends and loved ones honor his memory by helping others through the Sam Thompson Memorial Foundation for Disabled Jockeys, www. thestfoundation.org. The Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund, pdjf.org, also assists jockeys in need. The Race Track Chaplaincy of America, rtcanational.org, serves those who are involved in the horse racing industry and works to enrich the lives of backside workers. The list of worthy organizations is long, but every donation helps.
May you have a blessed holiday season full of rest to prepare for foaling season and the happiest 2016 filled with racing luck and winner’s circle trips!
HIALEAH PARK OPENS DECEMBER 26
Many horsemen are dreaming of a warm Christmas with pink flamingos instead of tiny reindeer judging by this year’s stall requests for Hialeah Park.
The historic racetrack outside Miami received almost 1,200 stall applications for the winter meet that begins Dec. 26 with the running of the Bienvenido De Nuevo Stakes for 3 year olds and up and the trials for the Hialeah Maturity.
The track, known for its famed colony of flamingos, will have a first post of 12:35 p.m. EST and will race on a Friday – Monday schedule through Feb. 29, 2016. The 40-day Quarter Horse meet is expected to have purses that aver- age $140,000 per day. The Jan. 17, $500,000-est. Hialeah Derby and the Feb. 27, $200,000-guar- anteed Sunshine State Derby, which is restricted to accredited Florida-breds, are drawing horsemen to the meet.
Horsemen are reminded that the “no year- ling” rule will be enforced because of the large number of stalls requested for racing-age horses and that ARCI medication rules adopted by the Florida legislature during its 2015 session will be enforced during the meet.
For more information on the Hialeah Quarter Horse meet, visit hialeahparkcasino.com.
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SPEEDHORSE, December 2015 13
TRACK CHATTER