Irad Ortiz Jr. apparently enjoys riding at Santa Anita. The 29-year-old native of Puerto Rico flew to Southern California from New York after Sunday’s card at Belmont Park and made himself at home in warm and sunny Southern California.

A winner of three Eclipse Awards as the nation’s top jockey (2018-20), Ortiz won two of the three Grade I stakes Monday at Santa Anita, including the $400,000 Hollywood Gold Cup aboard 8-1 shot There Goes Harvard. He won four of the afternoon’s first five races and finished second in the race he didn’t win.

The victory was Ortiz’s first in the Gold Cup and gave trainer Michael McCarthy his first in the historic race that was run at Hollywood Park before the track closed up shop in 2013.

“I feel great, thank God,” Ortiz said. “All the fans here feels good. It reminds me of home. I enjoy it.”There Goes Harvard, a 4-year-old Will Take Charge colt, was making his graded-stakes debut in his 12th career start. He finished second in his only stakes before Monday, finishing second in the Ellis Park Derby last summer in Kentucky.

“It was a short field, and sometimes you just gotta take a shot,” McCarthy said. “The horse is doing well and sometimes you just have to take a chance.”

The second-longest shot in the five-horse field, There Goes Harvard collared pacesetter Defunded in the final sixteenth of a mile and drew off to a one-length victory. It was his fourth lifetime win and he more than doubled his earnings ($455,090) with the first-place check for $240,000.

Final time for the mile and a quarter was 2:02.66 after Defunded carved out rapid fractions of 22.76, 46.13 and 1:10.99 but couldn’t hold off the hard-charging There Goes Harvard. Defunded, third choice in the wagering at 5-1 with Abel Cedillo aboard, held second by 3 1/4 lengths over even-money favorite Royal Ship.

It was another three-quarters of a length back to 3-2 shot Stilleto Boy. Spielberg, longest shot in the field at 19-1, brought up the rear, 10 lengths behind Stilleto Boy.

There Goes Harvard, last after the first quarter-mile, had moved into fourth by the half-mile pole and was second, taking dead aim on Defunded, at the head of the stretch.

“I had a perfect trip,” Ortiz said. “There Goes Harvard was fighting a little bit with me going into the first turn, they went a little fast. I tried to let him relax, settle a little bit, and he did come back to me on the backside.

That was the key. After that I was just biding my time and kicked him out down the stretch and he responded really well.”

The juicy 8-1 price in a short field did not take away from Ortiz’s optimism.

“Honestly, I ride all my horses very positive,” he said. “My agent does a great job. He’s the one who names me on those horses and the trainers and owners, they give me the opportunity every time I show up here. I’m really thankful.”

Related Articles

McCarthy, a former Todd Pletcher assistant, is well aware of the historic nature of the Gold Cup, which was run for the 84th time Monday.

“I was pretty excited when I saw him stick his head in front coming to the three-sixteenths pole,” the 51-year-old Ohio native said. “I got a little emotional, but things just worked out properly.

“These are the kinds of races you get up for in the morning. You hope you’re lucky enough to participate, let alone win.”

Cedillo, who has ridden Defunded in his past five races, was proud of the 4-year-old gelding’s effort.

“He was pretty strong early today,” he said. “Today, I just left him there, I was not fighting with him at all and he tried really hard. I mean, a mile and a quarter, he ran a big race. I think this was his best race today. He paid attention and tried hard.”

The victory was There Goes Harvard’s third consecutive following a pair of wins in optional claimers at Santa Anita.

“I just trusted the trainer, Mr. McCarthy,” Ortiz said. “He told me he was ready. His whole team, they did a great job and they had him ready.”