Jockey handed £700 fine for punching rival three times during post-race bust-up

An astonishing bust-up between two jockeys landed Irad Ortiz Jr a substantial fine following a meeting at Gulfstream Park racecourse in Florida.

Ortiz Jr was the aggressor, and he approached the seated Paco Lopez before delivering three hard blows in a release of his pent-up frustration.

Surprisingly, the Puerto Rican had won the race in question by a huge margin on Agenda before his outburst, adding to a fine career of almost 2,500 winners.

Lopez who came in second on Top Gun Tommy, might have angered his foe by veering into his path during an early bend in the track.

After the pair were seen in a verbal exchange, Ortiz Jr lands a big right hand before following up with a swift left and a second right.

With cameras picking up the entire exchange, the result of the race stood but the winner was handed a fine of £717 for his unexpected act of violence, according to the Sun.

It has also been reported that any further incidents could result in 'fines and/or suspension and possible expulsion from the grounds’.

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    • Ortiz Jr took a break from racing in 2020 following requests from his family.

    He told DRF: “I wasn’t mentally right, too, I wasn’t a hundred percent thinking of my business and I don’t like to ride like that.

    “I wanted to take a step back, think about it, spend some time at home and see what’s going on and now finally I’m ready. I’m fit, keep working out, but I’m just now mentally 100 percent.

    “I feel like I can come back.”

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