Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. finds himself in the equine version of The Bachelor.
With a little more than three weeks remaining until the starting gate opens in the 2026 Kentucky Derby, Ortiz is in the enviable position of being the regular rider of each of the top three favorites for the race: Arkansas Derby winner Renegade, Florida Derby champ Commandment and Blue Grass Stakes hero Further Ado.
Will Ortiz ride Renegade, choose Commandment or say, “I do” to Further Ado? His decision could not only produce a final rose but potentially a blanket of roses.
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The 33-year-old rider, who has won the Eclipse Award as the country’s Most Outstanding Jockey five times but has never finished better than fourth in nine career Kentucky Derby starts, has much to weigh. A $975,000 purchase two years ago, Renegade has won each of his last two starts, both with Ortiz aboard, drawing away to win the Sam F. Davis Stakes and Arkansas Derby with a powerful late kick. While his Beyer Speed Figures are just shy of Commandment’s and Further Ado’s, Renegade is trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and co-owned by Mike Repole. Ortiz has worked for both Pletcher and Repole for years. On Tuesday, Repole joked on X that Ortiz was his “nephew” and said “Irad and I have a unique and special relationship.” Such ties historically go a long way during Derby decision season.
Ortiz’s other two options are both trained by Brad Cox. Commandment enters the Kentucky Derby having won four in a row and with two Beyer figures in the 100s. No other potential Derby starter has more than one in his entire career. Ortiz rode Commandment to a neck win in the Fountain of Youth Stakes but could not ride the horse in the Florida Derby because he had already committed to Renegade for the Arkansas Derby. Flavien Prat replaced Ortiz aboard Commandment for the Florida Derby and directed the colt to a win by a nose over the deepest and strongest Derby prep field of the season.
Last weekend, Further Ado jumped into consideration to be the Kentucky Derby favorite when he romped by 11 lengths in the Blue Grass Stakes with Ortiz aboard. The runaway victory earned a Beyer figure of 106, the best of any potential Derby starter. Ortiz has ridden the colt in five races, winning three times and finishing second once. Of all of Ortiz’s options, Further Ado has the best tactical speed, a trait that’s invaluable in the 20-horse melee on the first Saturday in May.
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Renegade, Commandment and Further Ado rank first, second and third, respectively, in current wagering for the Kentucky Derby overseas. Renegade sits at 4-1, just ahead of Commandment (11-2). Further Ado is at 8-1.
But Ortiz’s decision could change those odds considerably, and so far the jockey has been noncommittal. On Monday, Cox told the At the Races with Steve Byk radio show that he hasn’t received a decision from Ortiz, but the trainer isn’t concerned.
“There’s going be things happen over the next few weeks, and I don’t feel like it’s one of things where you got to get a contract signed, sealed and delivered three and a half weeks prior to the race,” he said. He added, “There’s no need [for us] to make a decision at the moment. Actually we’re waiting on other people to make some decisions.”
In non-Ortiz Derby news, a major contender currently is on the outside of the field looking in. Chief Wallabee, who finished second by a neck in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and third by a half-length in the Florida Derby, sits in 22nd on the Derby points leaderboard, with 50 points. With three weeks remaining until the Derby, he needs two horses to come out of the field in order to make the race and he almost certainly will get that. The connections of Stark Contrast look to be pointing to the American Turf on May 2 instead of the Derby, which would mean Chief Wallabee would need only one more defection. If Chief Wallabee were to make the field, he would be a major contender, considering how close he has finished to Commandment this year and how he is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who has won the Derby twice including last year with Sovereignty.
