Ramon Dominguez is recovering well to keep the mount on Alpha for the Wood Memorial
Jockey Ramon Dominguez has taken up the ride on Alpha on two back to back occasions on which the horse, both times Dominguez was successful in guiding the Kentucky Derby hopeful to victories, and take him out of the little bad patch he was going through
as a juvenile.
Unfortunately the jockey suffered a separated collarbone, and it was being speculated that Ramon Dominguez might not saddle, Alpha, in his most important race of the career, the Grade 1, $1 million Wood Memorial at Aqueduct race course.
The news was good for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, who trains Alpha for Godolphin Racing, when on 3 April, 2012, Ramon Dominguez said on a teleconference that he is progressing well from his injury and he is looking forward to ride Alpha in the Wood Memorial.
“I feel good and I’ve made a lot of progress,” Dominguez said. "The doctor is very happy with how I look. He just said the only thing is to minimize the number of horses I ride, so I can get back gradually. The shoulder is getting stronger as time goes by.
I’ve been exercising , and I plan to get on the Equicizer on Thursday. If feel confident getting on Alpha for the Wood. If I didn’t I wouldn’t be riding.”
Dominguez’s recovery report will make the two of the most important trainer’s at the moment very happy, as Ramon Dominguez has not only Alpha to ride in the Wood, but the veteran jockey has been booked to ride Alpha’s rival Hansen in the Grade 1 Toyota Blue
Grass Stakes.
Ramon Dominguez with Alpha has won the Count Fleet Stakes and the Grade 3 Withers Stakes, both at Aqueduct race course.
“They’ve done a lot of schooling with him and he was great in the gate last time, so I’m not concerned at all,” Dominguez said. “That’s the last thing on my mind. In the Withers he was in the gate for a while and had every chance to act if he was going to
do it, but he behaved great.
Ramon Dominguez suffered his collarbone injury when he was riding, Mob Wife, and his mount missed a step resulting in a fall unseating Dominguez to the ground.
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