India, Aug. 9 -- Irad Ortiz Jr. suffered a left ankle injury before the eighth race at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, August 8, 2026, and was taken to Saratoga Hospital for further evaluation. The injury happened when And The Runner Is, the horse Ortiz was scheduled to ride, became fractious before the race. Ortiz was removed from the rest of his Saturday mounts, including White Abarrio in the $1 million Whitney Stakes. The horse was also scratched from Race 8 as a precaution. The New York Racing Association (NYRA) confirmed Ortiz would miss the rest of the card.

Ortiz was set to ride And The Runner Is, a second-time starter trained by Mark Casse, in a maiden special weight for 2-year-old fillies. The horse acted up before post time, ...