A Los Angeles Dodgers star and two top jockeys have found themselves at the center of an animal cruelty scandal after being linked with an illegal cockfighting ring in Puerto Rico.
Controversy erupted following a USA Today investigation which cited social media posts and promotional materials that advertised the trio – Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz and Kentucky Derby jockeys Jose and Irad Ortiz – as participants in a recent event.
In a particularly damaging discovery, Diaz reportedly appeared in promotional graphics wearing his Dodgers uniform, fueling a PR nightmare for the $102million star.
The star reliever, currently recovering from elbow surgery, openly discussed his family’s involvement in the circuit during a March interview with El Nuevo Dia.
‘It’s a pastime I’ve followed since I was a child. It’s legal in Puerto Rico, thank God. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here. It’s something I’ve done since childhood, something my dad instilled in me,’ the Puerto Rican closer told the outlet earlier this year.
However, despite his claims, the sport remains illegal in the country following a federal ban back in 2019, which was later upheld in 2021 by the US Supreme Court.
LA Dodgers star Edwin Diaz and two top jockeys have been named at the center of an animal cruelty scandal after being linked to illegal cockfighting in Puerto Rico
Kentucky Derby jockeys Jose and Irad Ortiz have also been pictured in promotional material for cockfighting events hosted back in their home country of Puerto Rico
According to a report from El Nuevo Dia, back in March, the Diaz family ‘entered four roosters’ in a cockfighting competition in Isla Verde, Carolina.
At the time, Diaz told the outlet: ‘The only difference between cockfighting and baseball is that in baseball, you can’t ‘draw’ (tie). You have to carry one of the two sacks. In baseball, I carry both sacks: the sack of winning and the sack of losing.
‘Here [in cockfighting], it’s the same. I prefer winning to losing. And if not that, then a draw. But you always look for a way to look good,’ said Diaz.
‘I can come here and socialize with all my friends. I don’t like spending too much time out on the street. The people here treat me incredibly well.’
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Ortiz’s representatives for comment.
Meanwhile jockeys Jose and Irad Ortiz – who recently dominated the Kentucky Derby, coming first and second respectively – were also seen in social media footage that was linked to the event.
According to the investigation by USA Today, the brothers appeared in a video collecting cash bets at one of the alleged cock fighting gatherings.
Meanwhile, in December, a post by Club Gallistico de Puerto Rico on Facebook pictured the brothers together and listed them as participants at a cockfighting event.
The post read: ‘Although they excel in international horse racing, being the most successful pair of brothers in that field, they also have a passion for cockfighting. For us as an institution, it is an honor to have them competing in our arena.’
The sport remains illegal in Puerto Rico following a federal ban back in 2019, which was later upheld in 2021 by the US Supreme Court
Jockey Jose Ortiz pictured celebrating his Kentucky Derby victory at the start of the month
The brothers were both born in Puerto Rico, where cockfighting has been a longstanding cultural tradition.
Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming launched an investigation into the matter and revealed that they would not be taking action against either rider.
In a statement provided to The Daily Mail, Travers Manley, the senior vice president of gaming and media relations for the organization said: ‘KHRG conducted an investigation following reports of Irad Ortiz Jr. and Jose Ortiz participating in a cockfighting event.
‘The investigation included the stewards meeting with Irad and Jose. Following the investigation, KHRG stewards elected not to take administrative action against them. We will have no further comment on this matter at this time.’
Jose Ortiz and Irad Ortiz did not respond to The Daily Mail’s request for comment submitted by voicemail to the brothers’ agent, Steve Rushing.
Currently, there are no criminal charges filed against the trio of sports stars.
The scandal comes just days after NFL star George Kittle was criticized by PETA for stepping into action against an arachnid.
Kittle took to social media on Wednesday to explain how he was woken up in the early morning hours by his wife, Claire, who was spooked by a sizeable spider.
This tale caught the attention of PETA, the animal rights organization, who took the chance to publicly shame and call out the 49ers tight end.
Speaking to a Puerto Rican outlet about a cockfighting event in March, Diaz said: ”I can come here and socialize with all my friends. I don’t like spending too much time out on the street’.
Animal rights organization recently called out an NFL star over alleged animal cruelty
‘Spiders are tiny compared to the average human, let alone an NFL player, and have a lot more to fear from us than we do from them, so there’s no need for unnecessary roughness,’ PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange said in a statement.
‘PETA is urging George Kittle to drop the unsportsmanlike conduct and adopt a live and let live approach when it comes to uninvited arachnid guests.’
The organization even offered to send him a ‘humane bug catcher’ to prevent him from needing to kill any arachnids in the future.
‘PETA notes that spiders play a crucial role in their ecosystems — and that the vast majority are completely harmless to humans,’ PETA officials stated. ‘To gently encourage spiders in the home to move along, PETA recommends humane deterrents, such as peppermint oil.’
