Breakfast at the Gallops
Watch Aiken's Future Racing Stars Workout
Friday, March 14, 2025
8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Aiken Training Track
Tickets: (ticket outlets noted below)
$20 in advance
$30 at the gate
This will be an opportunity to observe juveniles who are preparing to go to the races
and older campaigners, work before leaving to go to the racetrack. Local trainers will
be on hand to talk to participants about the various training methods used to train Aiken’s equine athletes.
A light breakfast will be served. Those in attendance should enter the Two Notch Road entrance that is closest to Audubon Drive. Vehicles must stop for all horses.
A portion of the proceeds from the event will go to support the Aiken Thoroughbred
Racing Hall of Fame and Museum.
Ticket Outlets
- H. Odell Weeks Center (1700 Whiskey Road)
- Pitter Patter and Caroline's Boutique (131 Laurens Street SW)
- Meybohm Real Estate (142 Laurens Street NW)
- Aiken Training Track Office (538 Two Notch Road SE),
- Aiken Visitors Center & Train Museum (406 Park Avenue SE)
More information:
- 803-642-7631 or 803-643-2121
Thank you to our sponsors!
Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum
"Home of Aiken's Racing Champions"
Information: 803-642-7631
Hours of Operation
Tuesday - Friday 2 pm - 5 pm
Saturday 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday 2 pm - 5 pm
Free admission
Guest Speaker - Ramon Dominguez
Talented, intelligent, determined, and poised. Those are just a few of the many superlatives commonly used to describe Ramon Dominguez on the racetrack. Classy, humble, and engaging are additional traits commonly associated with one of the most popular jockeys and consummate professionals in all of thoroughbred racing during his era.
A winner of 4,985 career races, three consecutive Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Jockey and a total of 20 individual meet riding titles at New York Racing Association tracks, Dominguez was consistently brilliant throughout his remarkable career in the irons.
Dominguez, a native of Caracas, Venezuela, won an impressive 23 percent of his races and had purse earnings of $191,620,277 in a North American career that began in 1996 and ended because of injury in early 2013. Before making his move to the United States, Dominguez began to ride professionally at the age of 18 at La Rinconada in his native country. He secured his first North American win in March of 1996 at Hialeah Park in Florida.
Prior to establishing himself as a fixture on the NYRA circuit, Dominguez thrived at the Mid-Atlantic tracks. 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.
After moving his tack to New York, Dominguez became the overall leading rider there each year from 2009 through 2012. The Eclipse Award winner for Outstanding Jockey in 2010, 2011, and 2012, Dominguez led all North American riders in earnings in 2012 with a record of $25,639,432 (breaking the previous mark established by Hall of Fame member Jerry Bailey in 2003). Dominguez led all jockeys in earnings in each of his Eclipse Award years. He also topped the national leaderboard in wins in 2001 and 2003 and was second in that category seven times.
In 2012, Dominguez set another record with 68 wins at Saratoga Race Course. On July 22 of that year he became only the second rider in Saratoga’s history to win six races on a single card, joining Hall of Famer John Velazquez. The prior year, Dominguez became the first rider since Hall of Famer Jorge Velasquez in 1981 to win six races on a single Belmont Park card. In 2010, Dominguez won his 4,000th career race in March at Aqueduct Racetrack. Less than a month earlier, he won the first five races on a card at Aqueduct.
Dominguez had success in many of America’s most prestigious races. He won multiple editions of the Man o’ War Stakes, Manhattan Handicap, Beldame Stakes, Remsen Stakes, and Arlington Million, as well as single runnings of the Travers Stakes, Sword Dancer Invitational, Wood Memorial, Hollywood Derby, Suburban Handicap, Jockey Club Gold Cup, Apple Blossom Handicap, Cigar Mile, Flower Bowl Invitational, Gotham Stakes, Spinaway Stakes, Hopeful Stakes, and Woodward Stakes, among others.
At the time of his retirement, Dominguez ranked 17th all time in career earnings and 32nd in wins.
Tickets for Breakfast at the Gallops are on sale now!
THE
HOTTENSEN FAMILY
