A pair of Kentucky Derby-winning jockeys and a Major League Baseball pitcher have been linked to illegal cock fighting events in Puerto Rico, a report claims.
The two jockeys, Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz Jr., are brothers who have been vying with each other during this year’s race circuit — including a close finish at the Kentucky Derby last month — and will be facing each other down during this year’s Preakness (May 16) and Belmont Stakes (June 6) as they race for the Triple Crown.
The brothers, though, appear to have posted social media messages about their attendance at illegal cock fighting events in their home country of Puerto Rico, according to a review conducted by USA Today.
Video posted on X is said to show the brothers gathering money off the pit floor at Club Gallistico de Naguabo, a cock fighting venue in Puerto Rico.
The brothers are also advertised as attendees at a cock fight on a Facebook page owned by a cock fighting organizer and rooster breeder named Oscar Calderon.
“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. For us, as an institution, it is an honor to have them competing in our coliseum,” the post on Calderon’s page reads.
The paper also fingered Edwin Diaz, a three-time All-Star pitcher now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, for attending cock fighting events. In fact, Diaz apparently wore his Dodgers uniform to help advertise events staged by the Puerto Rico Cockfighting Club.
One of those advertisements apparently reads, “The Puerto Rico Cockfighting Club invites all enthusiasts to a special match and a grand tribute to one of our island’s greatest sources of pride: A Tribute to the Puerto Rican Star and Cockfighter Edwin ‘Sugar’ Díaz.”
Furthermore, Puerto Rican newspaper, El Nuevo Día, published a story on March 10 featuring photos of Diaz standing in the pit of a cock fighting arena.
Several other baseball players have also been connected to Puerto Rican cock fighting events, including Diaz’s Triple-A-playing brother, Alexis Diaz, and former L.A. Angels catcher Martín Maldonado.
Cock fighting is illegal in all 50 U.S. states as well as all U.S. territories. U.S. law imposes a five-year prison term for those running cock fights, and also imposes fines and a one-year sentence for spectators caught attending cock fights.
But the cruel sport is still very popular in Puerto Rico, and authorities there do not spend much time working to shut events down. Many Puerto Ricans feel cock fighting is culturally significant on the island, and they oppose U.S. intervention in their 400-year-old sport.
The paper also contacted several U.S. horse racing organizations, but most said they have no jurisdiction over the behavior of the Ortiz brothers in Puerto Rico. An investigation conducted by the Kentucky Derby resulted in no actions against the jockeys.
It is unclear whether Major League Baseball intends to investigate the allegations.
Thus far, the athletes have made no public comments about the USA Today expose.
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