When Ramon Dominguez retired from racing last year, the reigning three-time Eclipse Award winner for outstanding jockey, one of the lines most frequently said in tribute to him was, “He’s a great rider, but he’s an even better human being.” That characterization was no surprise to the Belmont Child Care Association (on whose board I…
On Saturday, January 19, Ramon Dominguez won his third consecutive Outstanding Jockey Eclipse Award. He didn’t know it at the time, but the day before, he had ridden in his last race. While his friends and colleagues John Velazquez and Javier Castellano accepted the award on his behalf, Dominguez was in a New York hospital…
As Mid-Atlantic trainers reflected on Friday morning about Ramon Dominguez’s retirement, they talked about his talent as a rider and his commitment to horse racing. But their first reactions were about Dominguez the man, not Dominguez the jockey. “#1, he’s an exceptional person,” said Linda Gaudet. Read more at The Racing Biz…
New York’s stars were on display at Belmont on Saturday. The weather was beautiful, the atmosphere festive, the backyard crowded. And the horses didn’t disappoint. Early in the card, Flying Zee Stable took two races. The racing operation of the late Carl Lizza, Flying Zee’s dispersal begins this week at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling sale,…
So it’s been a July of suspensions: Steve Asmussen we know about; Rick Dutrow we’ve discussed; and last week Ramon Dominguez served three days for careless riding. Having been in the business for about a decade of assessing infractions and administering consequences, I note these cases with interest. I’ve helped to create discipline policy and…
