José Ortíz became the first Latino jockey to win both the Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks in the same year

Only nine jockeys have achieved the feat in history; the last had been Brian Hernandez Jr. in 2024 with Mystik Danand Thorpedo Anna

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (Special for Turf Diario).— The history of horse racing tends to reserve its most glorious chapters for those jockeys who manage to synchronize technical coolness with intuition at the moment of truth. This weekend at Churchill Downs, Jose Ortiz not only reached the pinnacle of his career but also inscribed his name in an extremely select Olympus by becoming the ninth rider in history to sweep the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and the Kentucky Derby (G1) in the same edition.

At 32 years old, the Puerto Rico native joins a list of legends that, in this century, only included Calvin Borel (2009) and Brian Hernandez Jr. (2024). The feat began on Friday under the Louisville lights, when he guided Always a Runner to a convincing victory for Chad Brown's team. "The plan went exactly as we discussed; it rarely happens, but we are happy it occurred in a race like this," analyzed Ortiz after the success of the daughter of Gun Runner.

However, the best was reserved for Saturday. In the irons of Golden Tempo, the pupil of Cherie DeVaux, Jose Ortizgave a masterclass in patience. After traveling in last position during a large part of the journey, the jockey trusted the engine of the son of Curlin to initiate an epic comeback down the center of the track, breaking the resistance of Renegade (Into Mischief) —ridden by his brother Irad Ortiz Jr.— by just a neck.

"It feels incredible. It is the result of 15 years of hard work," confessed an emotional Ortiz, who already had trophies from the Belmont Stakes (G1) —Tapwrit (Tapit, 2017)— and the Preakness Stakes (G1) —Early Voting (Gun Runner, 2022)— in his showcase, thus completing his personal collection of the three gems of the Triple Crown.

The jockey highlighted the importance of the trust he receives from his trainers: "I am in my prime; I am young but with a lot of experience. Staying calm is possible because the trainers believe in my judgment and allow me to ride the horses my way." That creative freedom was precisely what allowed Golden Tempo to find his best stride at the right moment to cover an entire team's effort in roses.

With this historic double, Jose Ortiz reaffirms that he is not just an executor of orders, but a strategist capable of making split-second decisions that change the course of racing history. The perfect weekend is now a reality, and the name of Ortiz resonates more strongly than ever in the world capital of the Thoroughbred.