Jockey Ramon Dominguez Has Winning Touch

by Patricia Woo | Dec 3 2008

Jockey Ramon Dominguez notched a pair of $500,000 Grade 1 wins on Sunday, Nov. 30, in the Matriarch Stakes and the Hollywood Derby.

Mere hours after guiding Cocoa Beach to victory in the $500,000 Gr. 1 Matriarch Stakes, 32-year-old jockey Ramon Dominguez executed a perfect ride aboard Court Vision in the $500,000 Gr. 1 Hollywood Derby at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 30.

Though she was sent off as the Matriarch Stakes' race favorite, 4-year-old Cocoa Beach was facing tough competition that included Del Mar Oaks upsetter Magical Fantasy and defending Matriarch Stakes champion Precious Kitten. And she ran next-to-last for much of the one-mile race while Precious Kitten, under Rafael Bejarano, enjoyed a comfortable lead and seemed to have the race in hand. But in the home stretch, Cocoa Beach unleashed an explosive closing kick that no other horse could match, beating Precious Kitten to the wire by three-quarters of a length.

"She seems to be getting better every time I ride her," Dominguez said after the race. Owner Saeed bin Suroor was similarly pleased. "The jockey had a brilliant ride. He kept her nice and relaxed behind and took her toward the middle. When he asked her, she flew."

Cocoa Beach is making a name for herself as one of the best fillies in the nation. Prior to her Matriarch Stakes win, she finished second to unbeaten champion Zenyatta in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic this October and won the $600,000 Gr. 1 Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park in September. She will continue to race for Godolphin Racing LLC in 2009 and will be one to watch.

Court Vision also needed a come-from-behind rally to win the $500,000 Gr. 1 Hollywood Derby. Behind eight other contenders, including race favorite and perpetual rival Gio Ponti, Court Vision was still at the back of the pack at the top of the stretch. But once again, Dominguez set his mount up perfectly for a last-to-first bid, and the 3-year-old colt blazed past all his rivals in a thrilling finish. The victory marks Court Vision's first Grade 1 win.

"I didn't really want to be that far back," Dominguez said, reflecting upon his winning ride. "Ideally I would have been laying closer, but at the same time, [Court Vision] was carrying himself well... He finished very, very strong the last part. When they all bunched up, I knew I had a lot of horse. Once I got him going at the quarter-pole I thought I had just as good a chance as anybody."

Since Court Vision's lackluster 13th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby in May, trainer Bill Mott has pointed the colt towards grass races, a move that has proven to be effective - and lucrative. With this win in the Hollywood Derby, Court Vision's total career earnings top $1M and he now seems primed for an exciting campaign as a 4-year-old turf specialist.

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