Big Sunday for Dominguez at Belmont Park
Ramon Dominguez joined Jorge Velasquez
as one of two jockeys to win six races in a single day at Belmont Park,
aided by a sweep of Sunday's New York Stallion Series races aboard
Darrin's Dilemma and Hessonite.
In race 6, the
$75,000 NYSS Spectacular Bid Division for 3-year-olds, Michael Dubb and
Bethlehem Stables' Darrin's Dilemma employed a new running style, rating
in second as favored Bold Deed set fractions of 23.36 and 46.36. Given
his cue nearing the quarter pole, Darrin's Dilemma took command in upper
stretch en route to a one-length victory over the pacesetter.
"I
think the key factor today with him is how well he relaxed," said
Dominguez of Darrin's Dilemma, who entered today's race off a victory in
the six-furlong NYSS Times Square Division on May 11. "He can be very
quick and he's coming off these real short distance races and I was
afraid that he would be too keyed up, but he relaxed so nicely and that
really helped him. Of course, the grass maybe moved him up as well, but
he just relaxed great."
"I
was very happy he liked the grass," said winning trainer Rudy
Rodriguez. "He ran big for us. I was a little concerned because he
usually goes to the lead, but it was good for us that he relaxed and
made the winning move. Ramon did a very good job with him, and we got
lucky."
Dominguez's sixth win came in race 9, the
$75,000 NYSS Cupecoy's Joy, aboard Hessonite, his final mount of the
day. Reserved in fifth early, Hessonite was guided off the rail entering
the upper turn, ranged up three wide turning for home, and blew by her
opponents once put to a drive, finding the wire 3 3/4 lengths to the
good of Lady On the Run.
Hessonite, who was cutting back in distance off
a triumph in a 1 1/16-mile New York-bred allowance over soft turf at
Aqueduct Racetrack on April 23, completed the Cupecoy's Joy's
seven-furlong distance in 1:22.78 and returned $4.70 as the 6-5
favorite. Trained by David Donk for William J. Punk, Jr. and Philip Di
Leo, she ran her record to 3-0-0 from 5 starts.
"Today
the concerns were reversed," said Donk. "Today's race was much shorter,
with it being over firm ground. She's going to be a pretty useful filly.
[Dominguez] said she got to wandering a little bit, but once he hit her
one time, she went about her business."
Dominguez
began his historic day with a victory in the first race, a one-mile
optional claimer, aboard favored Saginaw ($3.00) coming from just off
the pace to win by three-quarters of a length. Without a mount in the
second, he returned to win the $60,000 Xtra Heat with Bellamy Star
($11.40), posted a front-running win on Little Larky ($9.30) in race 5,
and extended his victory total to five in race 7 with favored Show Trial
($3.40), who rallied to win the one-mile claiming race by 1 ¾ lengths.
Overall, Dominguez won six races from eight mounts, while Velasquez went six-for-six on June 9, 1981.
In the Easy Goer, race 3 on the card, Friend Or Foe opened his 4-year-old season with a hard-fought head victory.
The
homebred Friends Lake colt, last year's New York-bred 3-Year-Old
Champion Colt, tracked Rail Trip in third through fractions of 23.23,
46.01 and 1:09.14 and finished the 1 1/16 miles under Alex Solis in a
swift 1:40.13.
Rail Trip, making his first start since a
fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup last October,
was 5 ¼ lengths clear of Convocation.
"It was a sharp
effort by both horses," said John Kimmel, who trains Friend Or Foe for
Chester and Mary Broman. "He kind of ground him down and showed his
fitness was up to where I wanted it to be. He sat off the pace and made a
good run in racehorse time."
Victorious in all three
starts against state-breds last year, including the Mike Lee and the
Empire Classic, in which he set a stakes record of 1:46.94 for the 1 1/8
miles, Friend Or Foe also finished fourth in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy,
sixth in the Grade 1 Travers, and fifth in the Grade 1 Cigar Mile.
The
even-money favorite in the field of four, Friend Or Foe returned $4.20
for a $2 win bet and earned $36,000 as he extended his record to 4-0-0
from seven starts.
His next start, said Kimmel, will like be in the Grade 2 Suburban Handicap at 1 1/8 miles on July 2.
"Hopefully
he cycles back in and will be ready for the Suburban," said the
trainer. "I would prefer that he didn't have to run so hard to win, but I
think he'll move forward off the race if he gets enough time. It was a
very good race. This is a really good horse, and I hope to have a really
good campaign with him."
Tahitian Warrior was fourth, and Mission Impazible was scratched.