NEWS
Dominguez sets inner-track record at Aqueduct
Posted: Saturday, March 15, 2008 5:15 PM
RAMON DOMINGUEZ
Benoit & Associates photo
Jockey Ramon Dominguez guided Oedipus O’Neal to a victory in the fourth race at Aqueduct on Saturday to establish a new single-season inner-track record of 106 victories.
“It’s been great,” Dominguez said of the record-breaking season. “You can’t take anything for granted. Coming in to the meet, I thought I would have a good meet and I thought I had the pieces to be leading rider. At the same time, that doesn’t have to happen.”
Oedipus O’Neal set the pace under Dominguez, opened a clear lead in early stretch, and held off a late bid from runner-up Wild Union to prevail by a neck for trainer Gary Contessa and owner Winning Move Stables.
“To start the season, breaking a record wasn’t even on my mind,” Dominguez said. “I’m happy to win for [trainer] Gary [Contessa] and Winning Move Stable. They have given me a lot of my business. But I have to thank all of the horsemen and my agent, Steve Rushing.”
A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Dominguez began riding as a 16-year-old in Venezuela and moved to the United States in 1995. The 31-year-old led the nation in wins in 2001 with 431 and ’03 with 453.
Dominguez won the 2004 Isaac Murphy Award presented by the National Turf Writers Association to the jockey with the highest winning percentage. He led the rider standings at Delaware Park in 2004, ’05, ’06, and ’07.
Dominguez lives in Elkton, Maryland, with his wife, Sharon, and his sons, Alexander and Matthew.
