Ramon Dominguez wins 4 stakes at Belmont October 25th, 2009
Ramon Dominguez rode four stakes winners Saturday at rainy Belmont Park, including a three-quarters of a length victory by Haynesfield in the $250,000 Empire Classic.
The card featured five stakes for New York-bred horses, but it was the jockey from Venezuela who stole the show.
The victory on Haynesfield gave Dominguez a sweep of the final four stakes races on the card. He rode Driven by Success in the Hudson, Rightly So in the Iroquois and Fenway Faithful in the Sleepy Hollow.
It doesnt get any better. Im very excited, Dominguez said. Its special, especially being my first year riding year-round here. Its a very special day here in New York and to be able to win four races is a great feeling.
The win aboard Haynesfield capped the memorable afternoon. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Haynesfield took charge early and held off a late run from Ruffino. The time was 1:50.76 for the 1 1-8 miles. Haynesfield, a 3-year-old, improved to 5-for-8 with a victory that paid $11.
In other races:
Driven by Success, the 4-5 favorite, set the pace to easily take the $125,000 Hudson by 3 lengths over Legal Consent. Trained by Bruce Levine, Driven by Success got his second win in eight starts this year, a campaign in which the 4-year-old gelding faced most of the top sprinters in the Northeast. The time was 1:10.51 for six furlongs.
Rightly So extended her winning streak to four, rolling to a 2-length win over My Dinah in the $125,000 Iroquois Stakes for fillies and mares. The 3-year-old lost her debut by a half length in January and is unbeaten since for trainer Tony Dutrow. The 5-1 choice ran seven furlongs in 1:24.64.
Fenway Faithful pulled off an upset at 9-1 in the $100,000 Sleepy Hollow for 2-year-olds, beating City Trooper by one length. The colt got his second win in three starts for trainer Rick Violette, covering one mile in 1:38.94.
Kent Desormeaux won the only stakes race that eluded Dominguez as Mineralogist, the 3-5 favorite, beat Embrace Change by three-quarters of a length in the $100,000 Maid of the Mist for 2-year-old fillies. Trained by John Kimmel, Mineralogist ran one mile 1:40.04 for her third win in five starts. Dominguez was third aboard Stellaluce.