Jose Ortiz is chasing a piece of horse racing history this weekend. After guiding Golden Tempo to a stunning Kentucky Derby victory, the jockey now sets his sights on the Preakness Stakes—but this time, he'll be aboard a different mount.
Only two jockeys have ever won the Derby and Preakness in the same year on different horses: Willie Simms in 1898 and Calvin Borel in 2009. Borel famously rode Mine That Bird to victory at Churchill Downs before switching to the legendary Rachel Alexandra for the Preakness. Now, Ortiz hopes to join that exclusive club.
"Trying to win the Triple Crown on different horses, why not? I'm going for it," Ortiz said with confidence.
Golden Tempo, who made history by giving trainer Cheri DeVaux her first Derby win, will skip the Preakness. Instead, Ortiz will ride Chip Honcho, trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. The pair previously teamed up for a maiden victory at Churchill Downs last year, giving Ortiz reason for optimism despite the colt's fifth-place finish in the Louisiana Derby this March.
"I think Chip Honcho has a very good chance to win the Preakness," Ortiz said.
Asmussen, who won the Preakness with Curlin in 2007 and Rachel Alexandra in 2009, made the strategic decision to skip the Kentucky Derby with Chip Honcho. The trainer was concerned the massive Derby crowd might trigger the colt's aggressive tendencies. With the Preakness being held at Laurel Park this year—limited to about 4,000 spectators as Pimlico undergoes renovations—Asmussen believes the quieter atmosphere will work in their favor.
"Limited attendance at Laurel... gives him a way better chance to show who he is," Asmussen explained. "Obviously, we've seen him not respond to what the rider was asking him to do on more than one occasion."
Chip Honcho drew the sixth post for Saturday's $2 million, 1 3/16-mile race and sits at 5-1 odds in what promises to be a wide-open field. Among the challengers is Iron Honor, trained by Chad Brown and ridden by French jockey Flavien Prat. Whether Ortiz can make history or not, this Preakness is shaping up to be one for the books.