Lifestyle

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Jockey Jose Ortiz has experienced much success in his young career.

At age 24, jockey Jose Ortiz just wrapped up a Saratoga meet which saw him finish third in the overall jockey standings with 42 wins, but he wasted no time resting on his laurels, jumping right into racing at the Belmont Park fall meet and Kentucky Downs over the weekend. We caught up with the regular rider of Grade 1 winners Good Magic and Oscar Performance in between meets.

John Asher: ‘Mr. Kentucky Derby’ Had an Unmatched Love for the Sport

Welcome to another edition of America’s Best Racing’s Main Track. Each week in this spot we present the most meaningful story of the past seven days, detailing a story that stands out because of its importance or perhaps the emotional response it generates.

Looking ahead, if you believe there’s a story this week that should be featured in next week’s edition of the Main Track, let us know by tweeting it to @ABRLive using the hashtag #ABRMainTrack.

As for this week’s story, it centers on a somber week in racing.

After more than 60 starts on the racetrack, Sharp Johnny has transitioned well to a second career.

Bravery Key for Retired War Horse-Turned-Eventer Sharp Johnny

When Elisa Wallace was looking for a new off-track Thoroughbred to bring along, Megan Sanders of Brookwood Sport Horses had the perfect horse in mind.

Sharp Johnny had raced 61 times for nearly $60,000 earnings over a five-year career. Retired after his last race in June 2017, he was looking for a second career and after watching a video clip, Wallace was hooked.

Getting to Know Drayden Van Dyke

Drayden Van Dyke is in the midst of a breakout year as one of Thoroughbred racing’s rising star jockeys. The 23-year-old enters Del Mar’s final race day of its summer meet with a three-win lead over Flavien Prat in the rider standings (40 to 37), and also leads all jockeys in earnings with a total of $2,585,857. On Aug.

Tacos and Trifectas: Theme Park Tacos, Del Mar Derby Longshot

Welcome to Tacos and Trifectas! Each week, America’s Best Racing’s Southern California correspondent Jose Contreras - @LosPonies to those who follow him on Twitter - will provide a taco review along with a selection that he will key in trifecta bets in hopes of winning some cash to buy more tacos! Contreras will map out a trifecta betting strategy for how to key his main pick and keep track of his return on investment (ROI), which was positive in 2017.

Stop back each week if you love tacos and want a trifecta play!

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