Jockey Jose Ortiz comes from last to pass brother Irad and win Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Jose Ortiz didn't just save his best for last to win the Kentucky Derby.

The jockey did it the hard way by literally surging back from last place.

Ortiz rallied 23-1 long shot Golden Tempo from way back to claim the 152st Derby on Saturday, beating his older brother by a neck. As expected, Irad Ortiz Jr. went over to pat his brother and congratulate him for getting the best out of a colt Jose Ortiz believed had potential.

“We always knew this horse had a lot of ability,” the younger Ortiz said. “You could see early in his career we tried things because he’s a lazy horse. I knew always Golden Tempo would be my Derby mount. This is an incredible experience. I just won the Kentucky Derby.”

Ortiz became just the ninth rider to sweep horse racing’s two marquee events at Churchill Downs. It came less than 24 hours after he guided filly Always a Runner to his first Kentucky Oaks victory on Friday night with trainer Chad Brown hoping for a Derby/Oaks double.

Instead, Ortiz made history for trainer Cherie DeVaux, who became the first woman to train a Derby winner. With their parents in attendance, he beat his older brother — also arguably one of the best riders in the world — to win.

“We got squeezed at the start,” the elder Ortiz said. "We came flying late, but the winner just got the jump on me. He ran very well.”

As DeVaux tried to grasp her own breakthrough through hugs and tears from family, she praised Ortiz for doing the near-impossible on horse racing’s biggest stage.

“Jose is the hero of the of the weekend,” she said before heading to the winner's circle. “Jose has been a major part of our success. He has worked hard. He comes to the barn. He has a vested interest in everything that we do. And it’s just great to share this with him.”

Unlike Friday's Oaks, where Ortiz had Always a Runner near the leaders before taking charge through the final turn and soaring past Meaning for a 1 1/4-length win, seizing the Derby required everything from jockey and mount.

Golden Tempo was bumped and bunched at the start and out of view for much of the race. His trip required extra ground with a wider path outside as the field turned for home, but Ortiz somehow got him near the middle entering the stretch. He found another gear to stalk Renegade and Ocelli, who also rallied from back, and edged Renegade at the wire.

“I felt like I had horse,” Ortiz said, “so I was following Irad on Renegade and I felt like we were moving along very nice. I felt like going outside on him wasn’t going to hurt me. I think he was the horse to beat.”

And the younger Ortiz is now part of an exclusive club at Churchill Downs.

He follows Brian Hernandez Jr., who rode Mystik Dan (Derby) and Thorpedo Anna (Oaks) to victory two years ago for trainer Kenny McPeek. Then again, Ortiz has been pretty charmed this weekend with five winners on Friday, including the Oaks, and five seconds in 11 mounts Saturday before capping it with the Derby.

This win, if not the weekend, will follow Ortiz for a lifetime. Considering the path followed Saturday to make it possible, he's taking nothing for granted.

“It feels great,” said Ortiz, who credited DeVaux along with Golden Tempo's owners. "Unbelievable weekend. It’s the result of all the hard work I put in for the last 15 years. I just want to be thankful. I feel blessed to be here. I’m just very thankful to all of them.”

AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing

Jockey Jose L. Ortiz celebrates after riding Golden Tempo (19) to victory the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Jockey Jose L. Ortiz celebrates after riding Golden Tempo to victory the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Golden Tempo (19) ridden by Jose L. Ortiz wins the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Jockey Jose L. Ortiz celebrates after riding Golden Tempo to victory in the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Jockey Jose L. Ortiz, left, is congratulated by Irad Ortiz, Jr. atop Renegade, after riding Golden Tempo to victory during the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 2, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

The Detroit Pistons can complete another historic comeback against the Orlando Magic. The Cleveland Cavaliers will settle for one more home victory over the Toronto Raptors.

The Pistons host the Magic in their Game 7 on Sunday in a late-afternoon contest, while the Cavaliers and Raptors wrap up the first round in primetime.

The winners move on to meet in an Eastern Conference semifinal series, which begins Tuesday in either Detroit, Cleveland or Toronto.

Detroit faced a 3-1 deficit to Orlando in its first-round series in 2003 before winning the final three games. The Pistons are the only top seed to do so against the No. 8 seed since the first round was expanded to a best-of-seven series the same year.

They are hoping to do it again.

After a 116-109 win in Game 5, the Pistons rallied from a 24-point second-half deficit to defeat the Magic 93-79 on Friday and send the series back to Detroit.

Orlando missed 23 straight shots from the field, including 13 from 3-point range, the most by any team in a playoff game during the play-by-play era that started in 1996-97. This was part of a 35-5 Pistons run.

“Having your back against the wall really shows who you are,” said Detroit point guard Cade Cunningham, who is averaging 32.5 points in the series. “There has been a lot of adversity so far in this series. I think we have learned a lot about who we are as a team and individually, and what we are made of. It has been a fun series. We want to get back to the crib and handle our business back home.”

The Magic still hope to become the seventh No. 8 seed to eliminate the conference’s top seed in the first round, but they need to bounce back quickly.

“The series ain’t over. I know they’ve clawed their way to tie it up 3-3. We won a game to start the series, and we’ve just got to go do it again,” forward Paolo Banchero said.

In a first round where the road team has won 18 games in seven other first-round series, the Cavaliers and Raptors have maintained serve, with the home team winning each game.

The Cavaliers’ 2024 first-round series against the Magic went the same way, with Cleveland winning 106-94 in Game 7 to advance.

“Protect home court. It doesn’t matter if we lost by 30 or two, protect home court. That’s all you can do,” point guard Donovan Mitchell said.

Toronto’s RJ Barrett sent it back to Cleveland for a deciding game when his 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1.2 seconds remaining in overtime hit off the back rim and bounced high above the backboard before going through the net to give the Raptors a 112-110 victory.

For many fans, the shot brought back memories of Kawhi Leonard’s four-bounce buzzer-beating winner in Game 7 of the 2019 East semifinals against Philadelphia. The Raptors would go on to win the NBA championship.

Barrett noted that the focus quickly shifted to Sunday night.

“Kind of forget everything that’s happened so far. Got one game to decide it all,” he said. “I think this group has been tough and resilient, and we’ve fought through the toughest of tasks all year long. So going to Cleveland is going to be a tough task, but that’s what we’re built for.”

The Raptors are trying to become the first team since Dallas in the 2022 Western Conference semifinals to win a Game 7 on the road after the first six were won by the home team.

When/Where to watch: Game 7, 3:30 p.m. EDT (ABC)

Series: Series tied 3-3

Betting line: Pistons by 8.5

What to Know: Whoever wins will end a long playoff drought. The Pistons haven’t made it past the first round since 2008, while the Magic haven’t won a playoff series since 2010. Detroit is 5-5 in Game 7s and unbeaten in four home games. Orlando is 2-2 and 1-2 on the road. Cunningham has scored at least 25 points in all six playoff games, including a team-record 45 in Game 5. Orlando forward Franz Wagner, who averaged 16.8 points in the first four games, is expected to miss a third straight game with a right calf strain.

When/Where to watch: Game 7, 7:30 p.m. EDT (NBC/Peacock)

Series: Series tied 3-3

Betting line: Cavaliers by 8.5

What to Know: Cleveland is looking to advance past the first round for the third straight year. It is 6-2 in Game 7s, including 4-0 at home. So far in the 2026 playoffs, James Harden is averaging 21.0 points and 6.7 assists, but he is also committing 5.7 turnovers per game. Toronto is 3-3 in Game 7s and is playing its first one on the road since the 2021 conference semifinals against Philadelphia, which it lost 88-87. Forward Brandon Ingram is questionable after missing Friday’s game due to right heel inflammation.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Toronto Raptors' Scottie Barnes (4) protects the ball from Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell (45) during the second half of Game 6 in the first round of an NBA basketball playoffs series in Toronto, Friday, May 1, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' RJ Barrett (9) celebrates after defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime of Game 6 in the first round of an NBA basketball playoffs series in Toronto on Friday, May 1, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Orlando Magic forward Jamal Cain, center, struggles to get off a shot between Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed, left, and guard Cade Cunningham during the second half in Game 6 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series, Friday, May 1, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (12) reads to a basket scored against the Orlando Magic by guard Cade Cunningham (2) during the second half in Game 5 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)