Jose Ortiz, on a fast track to superstardom at age 24 after winning his first Eclipse Award as North America’s outstanding jockey, is taking followers of America’s Best Racing along for the ride this year by writing a diary with Tom Pedulla.

Here is the sixth installment as he prepares to ride champion 2-year-old male Good Magic in a rematch against Justify in the 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. Justify defeated Good Magic by 2 ½ lengths in the May 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve.

I still do not know what it feels like to win the Kentucky Derby. After this year, I know what it feels like to come close.

There is not much I would have done differently. I got the strong pace I wanted and Good Magic exceeded my expectations with the way he ran. When he made his move on Justify with a quarter of a mile to go, I was looking for Justify to come back to me a bit. He did not. Sometimes you just have to give the other horse credit.

To some degree, I was satisfied with the Derby. This was my fourth mount and my best finish by far. I had Samraat when he ran fifth in 2014, Upstart was 18th the year after that and then Tapwrit ran sixth last year before going on to the Belmont Stakes, where he gave me my first win in a Triple Crown race. Tapwrit shows how quickly things can turn around. Finishing second in the Derby this year made me hungrier than ever to get back there and win.

Justify is a very, very nice horse. But so is Good Magic, and I really appreciate it that the owners and Chad Brown are giving us another shot in the Preakness. It is really good for the sport and I am sure the fans are looking forward to the rematch as much as I am.

Good Magic gets a bath this week at Pimlico. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Chad told me after the Derby that he would not rush into a decision about the Preakness. The horse would have to tell him that it made sense to go. Fortunately, Good Magic looks fantastic and he is training great. He is showing every sign that he is ready to run his race.

You never know how horses are going to react to two weeks between starts. Some horses handle it really well; others do not. I know Justify and Good Magic ran really hard. Only time will tell how much, if anything, it took out of each of them.

We will have to face some fresh horses that skipped the Derby. That gives them an advantage but, while I respect every horse in the race, it looks like a two-horse race on paper. When you look at the past performances, no other horse can match the credentials of undefeated Justify or Good Magic, who has run at a different track every time and always runs well. The surface at Pimlico and the tight turns should not bother him.

Justify is the toughest opponent we faced by far. He can win on the lead or he can win sitting just off the lead as he did when Promises Fulfilled set a hot pace in the Derby. My hope is that we will break well and that someone else will want to go with Justify. That would definitely make my job easier.

The one thing I cannot afford is for Justify to get loose on the lead. Good Magic is very responsive to me. If I have to ask him for speed early, he will have no problem with that. If I have to turn the Preakness into a match race, I will turn it into a match race. If Justify is going to win again, I am going to make sure he earns it.

Reporters keep asking me if we can make up 2 ½ lengths on Good Magic. My answer shows the confidence I have in Chad and my horse.

I know I can win.