Two of North America’s top jockeys, Irad Ortiz Jr. and Flavien Prat, are set to compete at Turfway Park Racing & Gaming in Florence, Kentucky, on Saturday for the second annual Synthetic Championship. This event features four stakes races with a combined prize pool of $1 million.
Ortiz, who expressed his fondness for Kentucky after racing at Turfway Park on December 3, is excited to return this weekend. The Synthetic Championship, launched in 2024, highlights elite horses that perform well on all-weather tracks, including defending Holiday Cheer champion Howard Wolowitz.
Coming off his first Leading Rider title at Churchill Downs this fall, Ortiz will ride in nine of the 10 races, including all four Synthetic Championship events. He will pilot Howard Wolowitz in the $250,000 Holiday Cheer, Cameo Performance in the $250,000 Prairie Bayou, Thoughts in the $250,000 Holiday Innovation, and Literate in the $250,000 My Charmer.
Prat, arriving from New York, will ride in eight races, including the Grade 3 winner Encino at the Prairie Bayou. Encino previously triumphed in the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Tapeta and has won at Keeneland, Horseshoe Indianapolis, and Presque Isle Downs. Prat will also ride multiple graded stakes winner Caitlin Hargurtness in the My Charmer, Ellen Jay in Holiday Innovation, and Out on Bail in Holiday Cheer.
The stakes lineups for Saturday include:
$250,000 My Charmer (Race 6, 8:25 p.m. ET) with contenders like Crosley, Caitlin Helgatness, Literate, Queen’s Command, and others.
$250,000 Holiday Favor (Race 7, 8:55 p.m.) featuring Miss Tart, Ellen Jay, Contemplation, and more.
$250,000 Prairie Bayou (Listed) (Race 8, 9:25 p.m.) with Wagstaff, Horsepower, Cameo Appearance, and others.
$250,000 Holiday Cheer (Race 9, 9:55 p.m.) including Coming in Hot, Ran Carson, Howard Wolowitz, Out on Bail, and more.
Besides these four stakes, the race card includes three additional contests with purses between $102,000 and $104,000, plus three $100,000 maiden special weights. The average field size for each race is 11.6 horses.
Twinspires is hosting a special $1,500 Turfway General Betting Championship tournament, offering a live money contest with a $1,000 bankroll plus $500 to the prize pool. Participants compete for prize money and slots in the National Handicapping Championship or the Kentucky Derby Betting Challenge. More details are available at www.twinspires.com/tournaments.
Fan Take: This event highlights the growing significance of synthetic track racing, showcasing top talent like Ortiz and Prat and some of the best all-weather horses in the sport. For horse racing fans, it’s a thrilling opportunity to see high-caliber competitive action that could shape how all-weather racing gains prominence in the future.
