Ortiz lands on Talkin for Preakness after rider market patience pays off

Danny Gargan’s patience in the rider market paid off at the exact moment it mattered most, with Irad Ortiz Jr. landing on Talkin and instantly altering the colt’s Preakness profile. What had looked like a waiting game became a competitive advantage once Silent Tactic, Ortiz’s other possible mount, was taken out of Preakness consideration and Talkin gained one of the sport’s most trusted big-race jockeys.

The switch came together on the morning of the post-position draw, after Silent Tactic was ruled out because of a bruised left front foot. Mark Casse said the colt was not 100 percent even while jogging and that he wanted to get the foot better before doing anything else. Gargan, knowing Ortiz might become available, kept Kendrick Carmouche’s agent on standby instead of settling early, and the move finally broke his way. That kind of rider timing can move betting pools as much as it changes tactics, and in a 14-horse Preakness field it can reshape the conversation around a horse overnight.

Talkin enters the race as a $600,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Pine Racing Stables, Legendary Thoroughbreds, Belmar Racing and Breeding, and R. A. Hill Stable. He was second in the 2025 Champagne Stakes and third in Keeneland’s April 4 Blue Grass Stakes, where Further Ado won by 11 lengths. Gargan has been clear that he believes Talkin is better suited to the Preakness than the Kentucky Derby, saying the colt is not a big horse and could be overwhelmed by a 20-horse field. By Good Magic, the 2017 2-year-old champion who was second in the 2018 Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Preakness, Talkin looks bred and built for a race that may not stretch him to a mile and a quarter.

The pace setup could make Ortiz’s role even more important. Gargan said he would love to be fourth or fifth early if the trip allows, but he also made it clear that Ortiz will have the freedom to make the tactical call as the race unfolds. With speed types such as Napoleon Solo in a field limited to 14 starters, the opening quarter could be unforgiving. The Preakness field also includes 14 accomplished jockeys, five of them with prior Preakness wins, so the riding colony itself is part of the competitive edge.

For Gargan, the move carries added weight. He won his first Triple Crown race with Dornoch in the 2024 Belmont Stakes, run at Saratoga Race Course while Belmont Park was under reconstruction, and now he is chasing another Classic while the 2026 Preakness is staged at Laurel Park for the first time as Pimlico Race Course is rebuilt. The 14-horse limit gives Talkin a cleaner setup, and Ortiz’s arrival gave Gargan exactly the kind of late edge he had been waiting to secure.