Elmer Rodriguez made his major league debut on Wednesday, but it wasn’t the most stressful part of his week.
That honor went to Saturday’s Kentucky Derby.
The Yankees rookie has a pretty good reason to care about horse racing – he’s cousins with jockeys Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz Jr. And both brothers had mounts in the Run for the Roses.
Jose rode Golden Tempo to a come-from-behind victory that nobody saw coming. Irad brought morning favorite Renegade home in second place, right behind his brother.
Rodriguez watched it all unfold from afar as one very proud cousin.
“Rodriguez said he was more nervous for the race than he was for his debut. Added he was so proud of them he started crying after seeing them come in 1&2.”
That’s what YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits posted Sunday on X.
It was a special day all around at Churchill Downs. Trainer Cherie DeVaux became the first woman to win the Kentucky Derby as a trainer after preparing Golden Tempo for the race.
The Ortiz brothers finishing 1-2 made for another great storyline, complete with this moment:
Brothers Jose and Irad Ortiz share a moment after they finish 1-2 in the Kentucky Derby. pic.twitter.com/UYioe98oOD
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) May 3, 2026
Rodriguez is hoping to make plenty more starts in the majors. Some of them will probably include nerve-wracking situations that test his composure on the mound.
But there’s something different about rooting for family. He learned that Saturday night at the Kentucky Derby, watching his cousins make history together.
