Photos and a Facebook ad appear to link top jockeys Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz Jr. to illegal cockfighting in Puerto Rico, a controversy that surfaced just as the brothers were set to ride on May 16 in the Preakness Stakes. Sports found images on social media that appear to show the Ortiz brothers in and around cockfighting arenas, including a post from Jan. 14, 2025 and a later advertisement that identified them as participants in an event.
The Jan. 14 post shows Jose Ortiz, 32, and Irad Ortiz Jr., 33, holding what appear to be roosters while standing in the pit of a cockfighting arena in Puerto Rico. A video posted to X six months earlier appears to show the brothers collecting money off the pit floor from the betting crowd at Club Gallistico de Naguabo, also in Puerto Rico. A Facebook ad posted on Dec. 17, 2025, includes a photo of the brothers and says, “Meet the Participants …” It goes on to say, “Brothers Irad and José Luis Ortiz accepted the challenge of competing in the tournament of champions known as the 'Gran Campeón Caribeño' (Caribbean Grand Champion), with a single goal: to attempt to be crowned the undisputed champions.” The ad also says, “Although they distinguish themselves in the world of international horse racing – standing as the most successful pair of brothers in the field – they also harbor a passion for fighting cocks.”
Cockfighting remains a flashpoint in Puerto Rico, where it continues despite a federal ban that took effect in 2019 and applies in all 50 states and U.S. territories. Participants in a cockfight can face up to five years in prison and a fine, while spectators can face up to one year in prison and a fine. The scene has deep roots on the island, and authorities and residents have said cockfights there began 400 years ago and carry cultural significance. That is what makes the photos more than a personal embarrassment for two of horse racing’s best-known brothers; they raise the possibility that elite jockeys who compete on racing’s biggest stages may also have crossed into a banned and punishable activity outside the track.
The Ortiz brothers, who are from Puerto Rico and rank among the top jockeys in horse racing, had just dueled in a thrilling finish at the Kentucky Derby almost two weeks before the reporting. They did not respond to requests for comment sent by voicemail and text message to their agent, Steve Rushing. With the Preakness looming, the question now is not whether the images exist, but whether the sport’s governing bodies or prosecutors will treat them as evidence of a federal crime in a place where the practice is still hidden in plain sight.
