A story in the Thursday edition of USA Today alleges that the ties to cockfighting for Jose and Irad Ortiz go beyond the social media video which surfaced in January showing them taking bets at an undated cockfight, documenting photos and social media posts which suggest a deeper participation in the sport.In January, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sent a letter to the NTRA asking that the brothers be banned from further Eclipse consideration due to the social media video.The USA Today article cites that incident, but also includes a January, 2025 Facebook post which appears to show the brothers holding roosters in a cockfighting arena. “The Facebook page belongs to Oscar Calderon, who based on information found on social media is a cockfighter and breeder of fighting roosters known as gamecocks,” the article reports. The story also links to a Facebook advertisement for Club Gallistico de Puerto Rico, a cockfighting club, from December 17, 2025, which reads, “Brothers Irad and José Luis Ortiz accepted the challenge of participating in the “Gran Campeón Caribeño”—a tournament of challenges—with a single goal: to attempt to be crowned the undisputed champions. Although they stand out in the world of international horse racing—ranking as the most successful pair of brothers in the field—they also harbor a passion for fighting cocks. For us, as an institution, it is an honor to have them competing in our coliseum.”The article also links to a Facebook page from April 2, 2019 with a video interview Irad Ortiz shown standing in front of cages of roosters. The Facebook page says the interview took place at the Gallistic Club of Puerto Rico.Cockfighting is illegal in the U.S. and all of its territories, including Puerto Rico. It was officially criminalized with the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, and remains illegal despite local efforts by some in Puerto Rico to preserve it as a cultural tradition, prompting legal battles between the island and the U.S. federal government. The Club Gallistico was one of the entitites to file a lawsuit against the U.S. government challenging the ban, according to USA today. The Supreme Court has since upheld the ban. Federal penalties are prosecuted under the animal welfare act, with attending as a spectator punishable by up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine, and sponsoring or exhibiting at a fight punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.Roosters in cockfights often fight to the death. “Once in the ring, roosters often wear knives or artificial gaffs (long, dagger-like attachments) that are sharp enough to puncture a lung, pierce an eye or break bones in order to inflict maximum injury,” according to the ASPCA website.The Ortiz brothers finished first and second in this year's Kentucky Derby, marking the first win for Jose Ortiz in the race.Neither Jose Ortiz nor the brothers' agent, Steve Rushing, responded to a request for comment by the time of publication of this article.The post USA Today Alleges More Cockfighting Ties to Ortiz Brothers appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.