Whereas the Breeders’ Cup could have turned consideration to California this previous weekend, coach Chad Brown, Klaravich Stables, and Irad Ortiz Jr. have been within the headlines on the alternative coast for notching meet titles on the Belmont Park fall meet.
Chad Brown registered 29 wins to earn his tenth consecutive title there, whereas Irad Ortiz Jr. received three races on closing day, Nov. 7, to guide all jockeys with 33 victories throughout the 31-day season.
Inflation Adjusted ‘s win in Sunday’s 10th race finale gave Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables its eighth win of the meet, which broke a three-way logjam allowing Klaravich to become leading owner of the Belmont Park fall meet for the fifth consecutive year. Flying P Stable and Michael Dubb each finished with seven wins.
Brown extended his dominance of the Belmont fall meet, posting a record of 29-22-18 from 111 starters with earnings of more than $3.7 million. The four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer has won at least a share of the Belmont fall meet every year since 2012. Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher concluded the fall meet with 16 wins. Christophe Clement and Linda Rice registered 16 wins each to tie for third.
NYRA’s year-ending leading trainer six years running, Brown saddled eight graded stakes winners at the fall meet, including top-level scores from Rockemperor in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1T) Oct. 9 and Jack Christopher in the Champagne Stakes (G1).
“I’ve to only thank my workforce, my homeowners, and the horses,” Brown stated. “These are the three actual key components to the entire success and I am very lucky in all three areas to have the perfect. I’ve nice horses to work with and terrific homeowners and a extremely tremendous gifted workforce they usually deserve all of the credit score.”
Getting into closing day, a three-way tie for the driving crown arrange an thrilling slate, with Ortiz Jr., Luis Saez, and Jose Ortiz all tied with 30 wins. However Ortiz Jr.’s banner day put him on prime.
The 29-year-old Ortiz Jr. completed with a 33-35-28 document in 177 mounts with earnings of $3.56 million. His brother, Jose Ortiz, challenged him for supremacy up till the ultimate race, ending second with 32 wins whereas Saez, who received aboard Rockefeller in the featured Nashua Stakes (G3), was third with 31 wins.
“It feels great and it’s always special every time I win a title in New York,” Ortiz Jr. said. “This is my hometown. I’m happy. I thank my owners, trainers, my agent for doing a great job and I’m also thankful to stay healthy.”
Ortiz Jr. was aboard for Brown-trained stakes inners Public Sector and Pocket Square and also picked up stakes wins at Belmont for other trainers with Annapolis, Life Is Good, Bubble Rock, and Arrest Me Red.
“We always compete no matter what,” Ortiz Jr. said. “We try to do our best out there so thankfully it paid off with hard work and dedication.”
For the meet, Klaravich Stables posted a record of 8-8-8 from 40 starters, tallying earnings of $894,549.
