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Ortiz, Jr. earns fifth win on Sunday card with Running Bee in $150K Bernard Baruch

by Mary Eddy

Calumet Farm continued a banner weekend when Running Bee rallied under a red-hot Irad Ortiz, Jr. to capture Sunday’s Listed $150,000 Bernard Baruch, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf route for 3-year-olds and up, at Saratoga Race Course.

The win marked Ortiz, Jr.’s fifth win on the card and 51st of the meet, adding to an already dominant lead in the jockey standings that has clinched him the riding title at the meet that closes tomorrow. Ortiz, Jr. notched his other wins on the card with Montalcino [Race 1], Opulent Restraint [Race 2], Critical Threat [Race 5] and Paros [Race 8].

“It is nice. It is nice to have a day like this anywhere, but having this day at Saratoga is special,” said Ortiz, Jr., who is represented by agent Steve Rushing. “Agent, and trainers and owners - I would not be here without them. They give me the confidence. They put me on and name me on the horses. My agent gets along with them and keeps contact with them. Thank God that they keep supporting me.”

In addition, Calumet Farm builds upon their weekend accolades after celebrating an upset score with Mixto in yesterday’s Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar and an impressive debut graduation by Correto earlier today at Kentucky Downs.

Chad Brown, the 5-year-old English Channel horse’s four-time Eclipse Award-winning and meet-leading conditioner, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to run the bay at the Spa despite being nominated to the one-mile Grade 3, $2 million Mint Millions this Saturday at Kentucky Downs.

“I'm very appreciative of Calumet Farm - Mr. Brad Kelley and his team - for letting me run here,” Brown said. “He was also nominated for very lucrative race at Kentucky Downs next week but it's only a mile and I just felt like this horse really has a future. I didn't want to put him in an unknown situation in a big, messy field even if it was for a lot of money. I felt this horse could put it together today and really move forward - polish this race off well was my hope and really move forward. These English Channel horses certainly get better as they get older, we've seen that over and over. I really have high hopes for this horse.”

Running Bee relished a cutback in distance from a close sixth last out in the 1 3/8-mile Grade 2 United Nations on July 20 at Monmouth Park, where he was bested 2 1/2 lengths after a stalking trip. He sat closer in the Baruch, similar to the trip he worked out when annexing the nine-furlong Grade 3 Monmouth on June 15 at the Jersey Shore oval.

“I was cutting him way back, so I wasn't sure if I took away his kick but he really got it together late in the stretch and finished this race off nicely,” Brown commented.

Ortiz, Jr. guided Running Bee from post 5-of-7 as Steady On bobbled at the break from post 6, but quickly recovered and established command through splits of 24.38 seconds and 49.27 over the firm footing.

Running Bee tracked behind Taking Candy in third along the hedge down the backstretch with Rebel Red just off his flank in fourth. Ortiz, Jr. remained calm aboard his charge when Rebel Red ranged up on his outside and had Running Bee pinned in behind rivals through three-quarters in 1:13.27 as the field approached the top of the lane.

Running Bee was full of run at the stretch call and just needed room, which came as Ortiz, Jr. angled him out a path to hit daylight and make his run at the top duo of Taking Candy and the rail-skimming Steady On as they duked it out on the front end. Running Bee was within striking distance at the eighth pole, and by the sixteenth marker, he rolled by his frontrunning rivals to notch the victory by 1 1/2 lengths in a final time of 1:41.86.

Taking Candy held second over Fort Washington, who came on late to miss place honors by three-quarter lengths while besting Beuys by the same margin. Pioneering Spirit, Steady On and Rebel Red completed the order of finish. Main track-only entrants Film Star and Phileas Fogg were scratched.

Brown, who won two races on the card after Ortiz, Jr. guided Opulent Restraint to a similar score in a maiden turf route in Race 2, praised the talents of the five-time Eclipse Award-winning rider.

“Irad all meet, but particularly today, is just razor sharp. The judgment - both my two-turn races he had beautiful position in the first turn, letting the horses go and using them just a touch to get good spots. I loved both moves,” Brown said. “They were almost identical trips and both horses really responded.”

Ortiz, Jr., who also guided Running Bee to an optional claiming win in November at Aqueduct Racetrack, said the horse’s ability made for smooth sailing.

“It was a beautiful trip. What can I say? Everything went the right way, to be honest,” Ortiz, Jr. explained. “He kicked. He was push-button today. He was so relaxed out there. When I asked him, he was full of horse to run.”

Bred in Kentucky by English Channel Co-Owners and Gordon Gillman, Running Bee is out of the stakes-placed El Prado mare Our Joy and was a $19,000 purchase at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky February Mixed Sale. He banked $82,500 in victory while returning $5.80 on a $2 win ticket.

Live racing resumes Monday at Saratoga with a 12-race card to close out the 39-day meet, featuring the Grade 1, $300,000 Hopeful in Race 10 and the Listed $150,000 Harvey Pack in Race 8. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.