Tag Archives: World Championships

Irad Ortiz Jr. Wins Record Fifth Bill Shoemaker Award at Breeders’ Cup

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Irad Ortiz Jr. is celebrating a winning weekend with a special title.

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican jockey, who guided three horses to Breeders’ Cup victories November 3-4 at Santa Anita during the World Championships, won the 21st Bill Shoemaker Award as the outstanding jockey of the event.

Irad Ortiz Jr.,The Shoemaker Award goes to the jockey who rides the most winners in the 14 championship races with the tiebreaker being a 10-3-1 point system for second- through fourth-place finishes.

Ortiz clinched his fifth Shoemaker Award by riding Elite Power to victory Saturday afternoon in the Qatar Racing Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1), the final Breeders’ Cup race of the weekend.

Ortiz also rode his other winners on Saturday: White Abarrio in the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) and Goodnight Olive in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).

Two riders had two victories each over the weekend: Junior Alvarado and Ryan Moore.

Alvarado won Friday’s $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) on Cody’s Wish.

Moore won Friday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) on Unquestionable (FR) and Saturday’s $4 million Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) on Auguste Rodin (IRE).

The Shoemaker Award is named in honor of one of the greatest jockeys in the history of Thoroughbred racing. Bill Shoemaker, who captured the Kentucky Derby four times, won 8,833 races in a career that spanned more than 40 years. In 1987, at age 56, Shoemaker won the Breeders’ Cup Classic aboard Ferdinand at Hollywood Park.

With this year’s win, Ortiz breaks a tie for most Shoemaker Award wins with Garrett Gomez (4).

Bill Shoemaker Award winners: 

2003: Alex Solis
2004: John Velazquez
2005: Garrett Gomez
2006: Frankie Dettori
2007: Garrett Gomez
2008: Garrett Gomez
2009: Julien Leparoux
2010: Garrett Gomez
2011: John Velazquez
2012: Mike Smith
2013: Mike Smith
2014: John Velazquez
2015: Ryan Moore
2016: Mike Smith
2017: Javier Castellano
2018: Irad Ortiz Jr.
2019: Irad Ortiz Jr.
2020: Irad Ortiz Jr.
2021: Irad Ortiz Jr.
2022: Ryan Moore
2023: Irad Ortiz Jr.

Bruno Fratus Becomes Oldest Pool Swimmer to Win First Ever Olympic Medal at Tokyo Games

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2020 Tokyo Games

Bruno Fratus’ wait is finally over…

The 32-year-old Brazilian competitive swimmer, considered one of the great men’s sprinters of this era, has earned his first career Olympic medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Bruno Fratus

Fratus finished third in the final of the men’s 50 free, swimming a 21.57 to earn the bronze medal for Brazil. Team USA’s Caleb Dressel won the gold with a time of 21.07, setting an Olympic world record. France’s Florent Manaudou claimed silver with a 21.55.

Though Fratus has a decorated career at the World Championships, Pan Pacific, and Pan American Games, he had never won an Olympic medal until this one.

Bruno Fratus

Additionally, Fratus has now become the oldest pool swimmer in history to win their first Olympic medal.

That title was previously held by American David Plummer, who won his first medal with a 3rd-place finish in the 100 back at the 2016 Rio Games at the age of 30. Plummer was 30 year, 304 days old when he earned his first medal, while Fratus was 32 years, 32 days old.

This wasn’t the first piece of history Fratus made in the past several days. With his semifinals performance of 21.60, Fratus became the first swimmer ever to record 90 sub-22 LCM 50 free performances in their career. He added to that total with his finals swim of 21.57, so he now has 91 career sub-22s. Fratus has hinted that these were his last Games, but it will be interesting if he chooses swims for another year or two, and is able to reach 100 sub-22 50 frees.