Jose Ortiz To Ride Catalytic In Kentucky Derby

Trainer Saffie Joseph told the Daily Racing Form on Monday that jockey Jose Ortiz will be named to ride Catalytic in this year's Kentucky Derby. 

Ridden by Julien Leparoux when runner-up in the Florida Derby (G1), Catalytic was beaten 13 1/2 lengths by Fierceness. Joseph explained that the jockey change stems from a long-standing relationship with Ortiz.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to make,” Joseph told DRF. “Julien rode him for the first time in the Florida Derby and rode him well. But Jose has ridden a lot more for us and we’ve had a lot of success together and once we learned he was available, after discussing it with the owners, we decided to go in that direction.”

Catalytic, by Catalina Cruiser, is owned by Tami Bobo, Julie Davies and George Isaacs. The colt broke his maiden in October at Gulfstream Park, then ran second in an allowance race at Tampa on March 8 before wheeling back in three weeks to be second in the Florida Derby. 

Read more at the Daily Racing Form.