Jose Ortiz has been named to ride Florida Derby runner-up and Kentucky Derby longshot Catalytic, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Monday.
Ortiz, whose best finish from eight Derby mounts is a second in 2018 aboard Good Magic, replaces Julien Leparoux, who rode Catalytic in the Florida Derby, where he was beaten 13 1/2 lengths by Fierceness.
“It wasn’t an easy decision to make,” Joseph said. “Julien rode him for the first time in the Florida Derby and rode him well. But Jose has ridden a lot more for us and we’ve had a lot of success together and once we learned he was available, after discussing it with the owners, we decided to go in that direction.”
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Meanwhile, trainer Whit Beckman confirmed Monday that Ben Curtis, who rode Honor Marie to a runner-up finish in the Louisiana Derby, will retain the mount for the Kentucky Derby. It will be the first Derby mount for Curtis. Honor Marie is the first Derby starter for Beckman as well.
“Ben rode him well and is more than capable,” Beckman said.
Beckman also has decided to work Honor Marie just one more time, on Thursday, leading up to the Derby.
“I got a dead-fit horse sitting on go. I felt like he’d respond a little better having a couple of more days out from the work,” Beckman said. “I’ll work him five-eighths and let that be the final cap on what’s been a good five or six weeks since the Louisiana Derby.”
As of Monday, the two horses without confirmed Derby mounts are Society Man and Encino.
– additional reporting by Mike Welsch
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