Dodgers pitcher, horse racing jockeys linked to cockfighting in Puerto Rico
A Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and two of the highest jockeys in horse racing had been allegedly linked to unlawful cockfighting in Puerto Rico via social media posts, in accordance to reporting from USA Today.
The articlerevealed Thursday, highlights social media posts promoting cockfighting tournaments that image three-time All-Star nearer Edwin Díaz in his Dodgers uniform and an article in El Nuevo Día, the biggest circulating newspaper in Puerto Rico, quoting Díaz.
Brothers and jockeys Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortizwho completed first and second, respectively, in the Kentucky Derby this month had been marketed as members in a cockfighting match in 2025, in accordance to the outlet.
Representatives for Díaz and the Ortiz brothers didn’t instantly reply to requests for touch upon Thursday. Diaz and the Ortiz brothers had been born in Puerto Rico the place cockfighting has been a longstanding cultural custom, an enormous trade and a supply of pressure between the US territory and the federal authorities.
In 2019, a federal legislation banning cockfighting took impact in Puerto Rico. Before the legislation, the blood sport had been made unlawful in all 50 states, however not US territories. Many Puerto Ricans noticed the ban as an assault on their tradition and vowed to defy the legislation.
Puerto Rico responded by passing a legislation saying that it is authorized to host cockfights so long as folks do not export or import the animals or any items or providers associated to cockfighting. The US Supreme Court in 2021 declined to hear a problem to the federal legislation introduced by a bunch that argued Congress exceeded its energy by making use of the ban to Puerto Rico.
In the The New Day storywhich revealed in March, Díaz is quoted speaking about cockfighting, saying it was a pastime he’d adopted since he was a baby. He was attending a match in which his household entered 4 roosters, in accordance to the article.
“It’s legal in Puerto Rico, thank God. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here,” he stated in Spanish. “It’s something I’ve done since childhood, something my dad instilled in me.”
The Dodgers signed Díaz to a three-year, $69-million contract in December 2025. Last month, the crew introduced that Díaz was having surgery to take away “loose bodies” in his proper elbow and can be out till the second half of the season.
To Facebook post by Club Gallistico de Puerto Rico on Dec. 17, 2025, photos the Ortiz brothers and lists them as members in a cockfighting occasion. The publish, which is in Spanish, notes that the brothers excel in worldwide horse racing, but additionally have a ardour for cockfighting.
“Brothers Irad and José Luis Ortiz accepted the challenge of participating in the ‘Caribbean Grand Champion’ tournament with a single goal: to become undisputed champions,” the publish learn in Spanish.
Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming, which is charged with regulating horse racing, launched an investigation after receiving studies that Irad Ortiz and Jose Ortiz had been taking part in a cockfighting occasion, Travers Manley, the senior vp of gaming and media relations for the group, wrote in an announcement to The Times. It shouldn’t be clear when the investigation particularly started.
“The investigation included the stewards meeting with Irad and Jose. Following the investigation, KHRG stewards elected not to take administrative action against them,” Manley wrote.
