Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will remain off his mounts until further notice as he continues to heal from a foot injury suffered in a pre-race incident Aug. 8 at Saratoga.
The report, told to the Daily Racing Form's Dave Grening by Ortiz Jr's agent Steve Rushing, continues that Irad breezed a horse Friday morning at Saratoga and “did not feel comfortable”.
The four-time riding champion at the Spa was injured when his 2-year-old second-time starter And The Runner Is (Oscar Performance) acted up in the post parade before reaching the starting gate, resulting in Ortiz Jr. rolling his left ankle.
While it was originally feared that he may have suffered a fracture, further X-rays revealed no break.
Irad's brother Jose Ortiz will pick up the mount on the heavy favorite Counting Stars (Honor A.P.) in Saturday's GI Alabama Stakes at Saratoga.
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