Jose Ortiz has been voted Jockey of the Week for June 22-28 after a Churchill Downs surge led by Grade-level wins on Magnitude and Lagynos.
The award, decided by a panel of racing experts, followed a week in which Ortiz closed the Churchill Downs spring meet with 11 stakes wins, including two on Stephen Foster Day.
According to BloodHorse’s Jockeys’ Guild report, Ortiz was recognised after victories aboard Magnitude in the Stephen Foster Stakes and Lagynos in the Wise Dan Stakes, plus a Debutante Stakes success on Pierette for Mark Casse.
Ortiz form keeps major-race profile rising
The timing underlines how firmly Ortiz remains in the centre of the US riding picture. He was second in the Churchill standings, but his stakes haul gave him the most high-value wins of the meet and extended a year already shaped by elite-level success.
Magnitude is central to that momentum. Ortiz had already partnered the Steve Asmussen-trained runner to a Dubai World Cup win earlier in 2026, and their latest Grade 1 success kept the partnership prominent before the deeper summer programme.
The shortlist also featured Javier Castellano, Yedsit Hazlewood, Corey Lanerie, Irad Ortiz Jr and Luis Saez.
For Ortiz, though, another weekly award reflects a sustained run rather than a one-card spike: big mounts, major races and consistent delivery when the races carry consequence.
