Jose Ortiz, on a fast track to superstardom at age 24, has agreed to take followers of America’s Best Racing along for the ride this year by writing a diary with Tom Pedulla. Here is the first installment as Ortiz, expected to win the Eclipse Award as the leading jockey in North America, awaits the announcement on Thursday night at the Sport of Kings Theater at Gulfstream Park.

I was a finalist for the Eclipse Award last year, but I can’t say I had any hope of winning. I did not feel I had done enough, and I think pretty much everyone agreed that Javier Castellano was deserving when he won the award for the fourth consecutive year.

I go into this year with a very different feeling. I believe I did more than enough, and I can only hope the voters feel that way. I topped the list in earnings with $27,318,875. I won 30 graded stakes, including 13 Grade 1 races. Only Mike Smith, another finalist, won more Grade 1s with 15.

I won my first Triple Crown race when Tapwrit won the Belmont Stakes for trainer Todd Pletcher. I have an exciting Kentucky Derby prospect after I rode Good Magic to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile for Chad Brown.

Ortiz and Good Magic after winning the Juvenile. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Most important of all, my wife, Taylor, and I had our first child, Leilani. My family comes before everything. It means so much to me to come home each day to Taylor and Leilani. Whether I have a good day or a bad day, I make sure I come home the same person. I owe them that.

Last year was a huge year in every way. It was the kind of year I dreamed of when I was learning my lessons at jockey school in Puerto Rico. I grew up idolizing John Velazquez, who is also from Puerto Rico, and now I compete against him all the time. I know I have a very long way to go before I can compare myself to him.

Even when I was in jockey school, I dreamed big. I want to win all of the major races multiple times. I want to be in the Hall of Fame one day. I want to be the best at whatever I do.

A lot of my success has to do with my agent, Jim Riccio Jr. We make a good team. He has me riding for the right trainers on the right horses. No matter how smart a race you ride, it doesn’t matter if you are not on the right horses. I have a great list of clients. I appreciate the support I get from all of them.

It meant so much to me to get that first Triple Crown win, and to hear that Todd thought I rode the horse perfectly. We made a plan before the race. Those plans don’t always work out. In this case, I was able to execute what Todd wanted done and it worked out perfectly.

Everyone is looking for good 2-year-old dirt horses. I definitely found one in Good Magic. He was the first maiden to win the Juvenile, but don’t be fooled by that. He was second in the Champagne Stakes in his race before the Juvenile. I cannot wait to see how he is doing as a 3-year-old and I can’t help but think about the Kentucky Derby.

I feel like it has been a very long wait until I find out about the Eclipse Award. I want to win this one and I will want to win more after that. That is who I am. I feel I have a very good shot. Even Castellano endorsed me, telling the Daily Racing Form that he had a “good year” while I had a “great year.”

I know in my heart that I did everything possible to win. Whatever the voters decide, no one can take away what I did in 2017.