Felix L. Ortiz
Encyclopedia
Felix Luis Ortiz is a jockey
in American
Thoroughbred horse racing. He learned to ride in his native Puerto Rico, attending the El Commandante Jockey School. He currently rides for the New Jersey
and Florida
racing circuit.
in 1997 and the following year he rode Who Did It and Run to become the first filly
to win the Jersey Derby
. He rode multiple Grade 1 winner Awad in 1996 in the Caesars International at Atlantic City Race Course
which is currently the United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park. He won a division of the 2000 New Jersey Futurity atop Lyle Lovesit and that same year he won the Maryland Million Nursery
atop T P Louie at Laurel Park Racecourse. At Tampa Bay Downs
in 2001 he rode Cybil to win the Endeavour Breeders' Cup Stakes
and won the Manatee Stakes atop Silver Stockings . In 2004 he captured the Open Mind Handicap atop Whoop’s Ah Daisy at Monmouth Park. In the 2008 season at Monmouth he won the New Jersey Breeder's Handicap atop Flirtatious Smile.
in 2005. The episode was entitled "The Sport of Kings". In the episode, a jockey's murder leads to an investigation that eventually leads detectives to a businessman who is accused of stealing from his own company's pension fund to purchase personal luxury items for himself. The air date of the episode was May 4, 2005. Ortiz can be seen throughout the episode and the directors used actual footage of him winning races in real life.
Recently, Ortiz was involved in the filming of the movie, The Bounty Hunter
, starring Jennifer Aniston
and Gerard Butler
. The movie is about a man who is a bounty hunter who learns his ex-wife is his next target. The movie is due to come out on March 19, 2010. Ortiz was a handful of jockeys used in the film. Filming took place at Monmouth Park Racetrack
in Oceanport, New Jersey
.
Jockey
A jockey is an athlete who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel riders in camel racing.-Etymology:...
in American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Thoroughbred horse racing. He learned to ride in his native Puerto Rico, attending the El Commandante Jockey School. He currently rides for the New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
racing circuit.
Riding career
Ortiz was the leading rider at Garden State ParkGarden State Park
Garden State Park was a harness and thoroughbred race track in Cherry Hill, Camden County, New Jersey. It is now the site of a high-end, mixed-use "town center" development of stores, restaurants, apartments, townhouses, and condominiums...
in 1997 and the following year he rode Who Did It and Run to become the first filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
to win the Jersey Derby
Jersey Derby
The Jersey Derby is a $100,000 American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held annually in late July/early August at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. Since 1993 it has been raced on grass at a distance of 1 1/16 miles....
. He rode multiple Grade 1 winner Awad in 1996 in the Caesars International at Atlantic City Race Course
Atlantic City Race Course
The Atlantic City Race Course , formerly the Atlantic City Race Track, is a thoroughbred horse race track located in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township, in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The track is located off the Black Horse Pike next to the Hamilton Mall...
which is currently the United Nations Stakes at Monmouth Park. He won a division of the 2000 New Jersey Futurity atop Lyle Lovesit and that same year he won the Maryland Million Nursery
Maryland Million Nursery
Maryland Million Nursery is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in October since 1986 primarily at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland or at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. To be eligible for the Maryland Million Nursery, a horse must be sired by a stallion who stands in...
atop T P Louie at Laurel Park Racecourse. At Tampa Bay Downs
Tampa Bay Downs
Tampa Bay Downs is an American Thoroughbred horse racing facility located in Westchase in Hillsborough County, just outside Tampa, Florida. It opened in 1926 under the name Tampa Downs. The first of many names, the racetrack was well known as Sunshine Park and Florida Downs.-Season:The track races...
in 2001 he rode Cybil to win the Endeavour Breeders' Cup Stakes
Endeavour Breeders' Cup Stakes
The Endeavour Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in mid February at Tampa Bay Downs racetrack in Tampa, Florida. Raced on turf over a distance of 1 1/16 miles , it is open to fillies and Mares, aged four and older....
and won the Manatee Stakes atop Silver Stockings . In 2004 he captured the Open Mind Handicap atop Whoop’s Ah Daisy at Monmouth Park. In the 2008 season at Monmouth he won the New Jersey Breeder's Handicap atop Flirtatious Smile.
Television appearances
Ortiz made an appearance in the hit television show Law & OrderLaw & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
in 2005. The episode was entitled "The Sport of Kings". In the episode, a jockey's murder leads to an investigation that eventually leads detectives to a businessman who is accused of stealing from his own company's pension fund to purchase personal luxury items for himself. The air date of the episode was May 4, 2005. Ortiz can be seen throughout the episode and the directors used actual footage of him winning races in real life.
Recently, Ortiz was involved in the filming of the movie, The Bounty Hunter
The Bounty Hunter (2010 film)
The Bounty Hunter is a 2010 American action comedy film directed by Andy Tennant, starring Jennifer Aniston and Gerard Butler. The story centers on a bounty hunter hired to retrieve his ex-wife who has skipped bail...
, starring Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston is an American actress, film director, and producer, best known for her role as Rachel Green on the television sitcom Friends, a role which earned her an Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.Aniston has also enjoyed a successful film career,...
and Gerard Butler
Gerard Butler
Gerard James Butler is a Scottish actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television. A trained lawyer, Butler turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies , which he followed with steady work on television, most notably in...
. The movie is about a man who is a bounty hunter who learns his ex-wife is his next target. The movie is due to come out on March 19, 2010. Ortiz was a handful of jockeys used in the film. Filming took place at Monmouth Park Racetrack
Monmouth Park Racetrack
Monmouth Park Racetrack is an American race track for thoroughbred horse racing in Oceanport, New Jersey. It is owned by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and is operated under a five-year lease as a partnership with Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.Monmouth Park's marquee event...
in Oceanport, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.