Dominguez to Speak at Aiken's Breakfast at the Gallops

The City of Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism will host the seventeenth annual Breakfast at the Gallops on Friday, March 14, at 8 a.m. at the Aiken Training Track.

This will be an opportunity to observe juvenile and older campaigners before they leave Aiken for various racetracks throughout the country. In addition, local trainers will be on hand to talk to participants about the various training methods used to train Aiken's equine athletes.

This year's guest speaker is Ramon Dominguez, a retired jockey with 4,985 career wins and $191,620,277 in earnings.

Dominguez, a native of Caracas, Venezuela, began his career in 1996 in the United States that ended in early 2013 due to injury. Before competing in the United States, Dominguez rode professionally at La Rinconada in his native country.

From 2004 through 2007, he was the leading rider at Delaware Park, where he rode his 3,000th winner in 2007. Dominguez also won multiple riding titles at both Pimlico Race Course and Laurel Park in Maryland. In New York, Dominguez became the overall leading rider there each year from 2009 through 2012.

Dominguez was the Eclipse Award winner for Outstanding Jockey in 2010, 2011, and 2012 and led all jockeys in earnings in each of those years. He also topped the national leaderboard in wins in 2001.

He won 160 graded races in his career, including 44 grade 1 events. Twenty-five of those grade 1 wins took place during his Eclipse-winning years. Dominguez won three Breeders' Cup races, the 2004 Turf (Better Talk Now), 2011 Juvenile (Hansen), and 2012 Turf (Little Mike). He was also the regular rider of 2011 Horse of the Year Havre de Grace. Other top mounts for Dominguez included Aiken-trained Alpha and Eight Belles.

Dominguez won the Man o' War Stakes, Manhattan Handicap, Beldame Stakes, Remsen Stakes, Arlington Million, Travers Stakes, Wood Memorial, Suburban Handicap, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Cigar Mile, Spinaway Stakes, Hopeful Stakes, and Woodward Stakes, among others.

Tickets for Breakfast at the Gallops are on sale now and are $20 each in advance or $30 each at the gate. Space is limited and tickets can be purchased at the H. Odell Weeks Center (1700 Whiskey Road), Meybohm Real Estate (142 Laurens Street NW), Aiken Training Track Office (538 Two Notch Road SE), Pitter Patter & Caroline's Boutiques (131 Laurens St SW) or the Aiken Visitors Center & Train Museum (406 Park Avenue SE). There are no refunds.

Attendees should enter at the 724 Two Notch Road entrance, closest to Audubon Drive; vehicles must stop for all horses. A light breakfast will be served at 8 a.m.

Online registration may be done at https://e.sparxo.com/Breakfast-at-the-Gallops.

Breakfast at the Gallops is sponsored by Suzy Haslup - Meybohm Real Estate, Aiken County Farm Supply, Aiken Saddlery, The Hottensen Family, tbSales, The Aiken Horse and the Aiken Training Track.

A portion of the proceeds from the event will support the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum.

For more information, call 803-642-7631, 803-643-2121, e-mail halloffame@cityofaikensc.gov or visit the Hall of Fame website at www.aikenracinghalloffame.com.