Ortiz Brothers Day at Gulfstream Park? Must’ve missed the memo. The Ortiz Brothers, however, did not, and demonstrated such a dominance of the day’s racing that it boggles the mind. In the first race, a maiden claimer, Jose Ortiz rode the winner, and Irad Ortiz, Jr., came in second. In the second, another claimer, it was Irad who won. In the third, another claimer, Jose won, with Irad coming in second. In the fourth, the brothers gave Jaramillo a chance to win, but came in second (Jose) and third (Irad).
The fifth race was taken by John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher trainer, and this duo also had a terrific day, but there was no keeping the Ortiz Brothers down, because Irad finished second. In the sixth, an allowance, Jose Ortiz, riding for Pletcher, won, with Velasquez coming in second. The seventh and ninth revealed a rupture in the force, with Ortiz Brothers only hitting the board. But Irad was back to winning in the tenth, and was third in the day’s big race, the Hal’s Hope S.-G3, behind, of course, Pletcher and Velasquez. The twelfth and thirteenth, however, belonged to the Ortiz Brothers, with Irad winning the Texas Glitter S. and Jose taking the Maiden Special Weight. This is the kind of dominance one rarely sees in first rate racing. The competitive zeal of the Ortiz Brothers is a sight to behold.
On this same day, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer experienced the highest high and the lowest low that racing has to offer. His beauty queen of a mare, Vasilika, claimed just over a year ago for $40,000, won the Buena Vista S.-G2 with a come from behind victory that she made look easy. The iron-legged mare, who has made thirty starts, with fifteen wins, four seconds, and three thirds, for just under a million dollars in earnings, towered above the field as Zenyatta used to, and with her blinkers off, revealed her elegant, distinctly marked head. She may be the best claim ever made. Commentators thought she may have lost a step at five years of age. They were wrong.
But that very same morning, during a timed work on the Santa Anita main track, another star fell to earth. Battle of Midway, recent hero over much-touted McKinzie in the February 2 San Pasqual S.-G2, and being pointed to the Dubai World Cup in March, broke down, breaking a rear pastern. This Hollendorfer trainee seemed to be getting better with age, after a disastrous trip to stand at stud last year, which revealed him to be extremely sub-fertile.The glory of a Vasilika is so easily offset by the tragedy of a Battle of Midway. Condolences to all the connections of this wonderful horse.
— Roberta Smoodin