| Wednesday, December 31, 2014 Contact: Sean Morris smorris@nyrainc.com Ortiz, Jacobson earn year-end NYRA titles OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Irad Ortiz, Jr. earned his first year-end riding title, with David Jacobson securing his third consecutive training title on the New York Racing Association's circuit in 2014. Ortiz, Jr., 21, won 278 races worth $18.6 million in 2014, achieved at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park, and Saratoga Race Course, including Grade 1 scores aboard Sweet Reason in the TVG Acorn at Belmont and Test at Saratoga. Along the way, he picked up riding titles at Aqueduct's inner-track meet; Belmont's spring/summer meet, which he split with Javier Castellano; and Belmont's fall meet, which he won outright. "It's great," said Ortiz, Jr. "We're blessed that the trainers and owners give us the opportunity. For next year, we're just going to work hard and try to improve on this year." Irad's brother, Jose Ortiz, was second with 226 wins, while Cornelio Velasquez finished third with 177 wins. Jacobson's 133 wins dominated the trainer standings in 2014, finishing more than 30 wins ahead of his closest competitor, Todd Pletcher. En route to his third consecutive title, Jacobson cleaned up at Aqueduct, where he won titles for the inner-track and fall meets. Putting an exclamation point on his phenomenal year, Jacobson sent out Big Business to victory in the last stakes race of the year - the $100,000 Alex M. Robb for New York-breds - and also captured the Grade 3 Toboggan with Candyman E, the Hollie Hughes with Be Bullish, the Grade 3 Tom Fool with Strapping Groom, and the Grade 3 Fall Highweight and Gravesend with Salutos Amigos. "It's a great ending to the year and tomorrow we have to start all over again," said Jacobson, who also finished third in the owner standings, and earned in excess of $6.5 million as a trainer. It was a photo finish for second in the 2014 trainer standings with Pletcher winning 99 races, Rudy Rodriguez taking home 98, and Chad Brown finishing with 97. Michael Dubb was the leading owner with 75 wins and earnings of $4.4 million, well ahead of runner-up Drawing Away Stable (54) and Jacobson (42). -30-
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