Saratoga: Dominguez caps off six-win day aboard 10-1 shot in Saranac

Barbara D. Livingston

Ramon Dominguez collects his sixth win of the day and meet-record 66th winner aboard Unbridled Command in the Grade 3 Saranac.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Jockey Ramon Dominguez tied one record and broke another Sunday at Saratoga.

Dominguez rode six winners on Sunday’s card at Saratoga, equaling the one-day record - which he first equaled six weeks earlier - while setting a single Saratoga meet record with 66 victories. Dominguez, who will win his second Saratoga riding title, can add to the record on Monday, closing day, when he’s scheduled to ride all 11 races.

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 The previous Saratoga meet record was believed to be 65 set by John Velazquez in 2004. However, Velazquez lost one of those winners to a disqualification due to a medication positive. Tales of Glory, a horse trained by Todd Pletcher that Velazquez rode to victory, tested positive for mepivacaine following his Aug. 14, 2004 victory and was disqualified from first.

 Thus, Dominguez, unbeknownst to him or virtually anybody else in attendance Sunday at Saratoga, actually set the single-meet record when he won the eighth race aboard Temper in Command ($6.40), his fifth winner on the program.

 For good measure, Dominguez gave a superb ride aboard the 10-1 shot Unbridled Command, guiding him to a half-length victory over Skyring in the Grade 3, $150,000 Saranac Stakes for 3-year-olds.

 “It’s one of those days where you have to pinch yourself really. Very excited,” Dominguez, 35, said. “I knew that I was within five wins of tying the record. It was something I would think about once in a while especially as were getting closer to the end. I thought it’d be neat to tie the record with Johnny or if we had a chance to break it, even better. It caught me by surprise to do it all today. I’ll be able to sleep good and have a big smile and prepare for tomorrow. No pressure.”

 Dominguez went 6 for 7 on Sunday’s card just as he did here on July 22. Velazquez went 6 for 10 on Sept. 3, 2001.

 Dominguez won the second aboard the first-time starter Cue the Moon ($10.60) and the fourth on Native Wave ($6). After finishing eighth on Dorothy’s Spirit in the fifth, Dominguez won the sixth on World Premier ($10), seventh on Shakeira ($6.60),  and the eighth on Temper in Command ($6.40) before he climbed aboard Unbridled Command, a 10-1 shot in the Saranac.

 Dominguez had Unbridled Command in fifth position as Skyring opened up an eight-length lead while running a half-mile in 46.35 seconds under Joel Rosario. Unbridled Command was a dozen lengths off the pace at that point. Around the far turn, Dominguez made a quick move between horses to get into second position turning for home.

 Unbridled Command, who lugged in a tad in upper stretch, took over from Skyring at the three-sixteenths pole and appeared as if he would draw clear. Skyring, trained by D. Wayne Lukas, was coming back on Unbridled Command, but fell a half-length short.

 Unbridled Command, a New York-bred son of Master Command owned by Lakland Farm and trained by Tom Bush, covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:46.54 and returned $22.60 to win.

“Having those wins certainly helped mentally,” Dominguez said. “The horse wasn’t the favorite so I was really focusing on trying to give him the best ride I could, and get the most out of him. Coming to the three-eighths pole, when I was able to squeeze in between horses, he gave me a great kick.”