Saratoga: Dominguez ties record with six-win day

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Ramon Dominguez rode at three tracks in three different states and did not return home until after midnight on Saturday night - not the kind of itinerary one might expect would lead to a record-setting performance less than 24 hours later.

But despite his busy travelling schedule on Saturday, Dominguez bounced back to ride six winners on Sunday's 10-race program at Saratoga, equaling the track record for most victories by a jockey on one card. John Velazquez rode six winners on Sept. 3, 2001.

Complete coverage of racing at Saratoga: News, PPs, and video

No jockey has ever won more than six races in one day at any New York Racing Association track.

Dominguez’s memorable afternoon began with victories aboard Paper Plane and the odds-on Summer Front in the early daily double. Summer Front’s victory came in the $100,000 Duluth Stakes.

Dominguez then won the fourth race with Rigby, the seventh aboard Temper in Command, and the eighth with Memorable Peach, before completing his six pack by guiding the 3-1 favorite Wet One to victory in the finale.

Dominguez’s only loss on the card was a second-place finish with the even-money Current Design in the fifth race. His mount in the Grade 2 Sanford Stakes, Good Tickled, was scratched. Dominguez, who won the Saratoga riding title in 2009, won nine races over the opening four days of this meet.

“I got to bed last night at 12:20,” said Dominguez, referring to his busy day on Saturday. “I didn’t come out this morning and I felt great. And after you win a race, you feel even better. It was an easy day to go through.”

Dominguez said that after looking at the card he thought he had a good shot to win a lot of races on Sunday.

“It was one of those days I looked at the program and was very excited about my chances,” said Dominguez. “But we all know that luck is a big factor. So often you come into a day thinking you’ll win a lot and you don’t and the other way around. I’m just happy it materialized like I was hoping. I was riding good horses and everything just clicked into place.”

Dominguez said that at the top of the stretch he wasn’t sure he was going to get his record-equaling sixth victory astride Wet One in the nightcap.

“Turning for home I was very concerned because it didn’t look like it was going to open up for me,” said Dominguez. “My filly was in hand and I’m just happy when it did, she was ready to go right through it. It’s great to win six races anywhere, but doing it at Saratoga is definitely special.”