Jockey Irad Ortiz. Jr. was sent to a local hospital Thursday after he was unseated in the stretch of the fifth race at Belmont Park and clipped by a trailing horse.
Ortiz was on the lead aboard first-time starter Equal Pay for trainer Chad Brown when the 3-year-old Quality Road filly appeared to take a bad step. Ortiz was subsequently stretchered to the on-site ambulance and sent to North Shore Community Hospital for further evaluation, agent Steve Rushing told Horse Racing Nation.
According to the public relations team at Belmont Park, Ortiz was "awake and alert, moving all extremities."
Jose Ortiz, Irad's brother, and fellow jockey Junior Alvarado both rushed to the side of the fallen rider as he laid on the track. According to Richard Migliore of America's Day at the Races, Jose relayed that Irad had "some cuts and contusions because he was clipped by one of the trailing horses," but that he "was moving and talking."
Equal Pay appeared to gather herself after the incident and crossed the wire first while rider-less. She was gathered by an outrider and "walked home," according to Belmont Park officials.
Ortiz was taken off his remaining three mounts on Thursday. He is named to ride in nine races on Friday at Belmont and in all 13 races on Saturday's stakes-filled program at Belmont, including aboard Known Agenda in the featured Belmont Stakes.
