[OLD HEAD]

Eight Belles

Trainer: Larry Jones

Jones, a Hopkinsville, Kentucky native, currently lives in Henderson, near Ellis Park, with his wife and four children. Jones and his wife work closely together in their 20 horse operation, splitting time between Oaklawn in the winter and Delaware and Kentucky the remainder of the year. Jones has had great success with fillies in recent years: Island Sand won the Acorn (GI) and $1 million Delaware Handicap (GII) and was second in the 2004 Kentucky Oaks; Ruby's Reception took the 2003 Fantasy (GII); and Josh's Madelyn won the 2004 Raven Run (GII). Jones finished second in the Kentucky Derby last year with Hard Spun.

Jockey: Ramon Dominguez

Thirty-one year old Ramon Dominguez, a native of Venezuela, began riding at age 16 in his home country. He moved to the United States in 1995, riding at Hialeah Park in Florida. He won 385 races in 2006, second to Julien Leparoux, with his mounts earning in excess of $14.4 million, placing him fifth for the year. He also led the national standings in both 2001 and 2003, when he had 431 and 453 victories, respectively. 2004 saw him score his first Breeders' Cup victory aboard Better Talk Now in the Breeders' Cup Turf (GI). And in 2004, he won the Isaac Murphy Award presented to the jockey with the highest winning percentage (28.3) for the year by the National Turf Writers Association. Dominguez has ridden four Derby starters, Tapit in 2004, High Limit in 2005, Bluegrass Cat in 2006 to a second place finish for Pletcher, and Sam P. in 2007. He has won three riding titles in Maryland, where he currently resides. He splits his riding time between Delaware, Florida, and New York.

Owner: Fox Hill Farms, Inc.

Fox Hill Farms is the racing name of Richard Porter, a resident of Hobe Sound, Florida. An automobile dealer and lifetime racing fan, Porter has been a horse owner for about a dozen years. In addition to Jones, he also employs trainers Tom Albertrani, Kiaran McLauglin and Michael Matz for his stable of approximately 30 horses. The latter won the 2006 Breeders' Cup Distaff for Porter with Round Pond. His other top horses to race were 2007 Kentucky Derby runner-up Hard Spun and multiple Grade 1 winning mare Jostle.
Breeder: Robert N. Clay & Serengeti Stable
Robert N. Clay, along with his wife Blythe, owns Three Chimneys Farm - a leading Thoroughbred stallion farm located outside of Lexington, KY that is home to such industry leading sires and top former racing stars as Dynaformer, Point Given, Rahy, Wild Again, War Chant, and Smarty Jones. When Clay founded the farm in 1972, he was with Top Yield Industries, later becoming president of that company. In 1984, he oversaw the sale of Top Yield Industries to Cargill, Inc. and from that point on, Clay devoted his time to Three Chimneys. The Three Chimneys Stallion division was built in 1984 and the first stallion to stand was champion Slew o' Gold, in 1985, followed soon by the only undefeated Triple Crown winner in history, Seattle Slew. A native of Mt. Sterling, KY, Clay is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and attended the University of Kentucky and Harvard Business School. He served as president of the National Thoroughbred Association, was a founding member of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Board of Directors, was president of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association and is a member of the Board of Directors of that organization. He is a member of The Jockey Club and a member of the Board of Directors of the Breeders' Cup, the Keeneland Association and the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association. Clay serves as a trustee of The Blood-Horse magazine, and is past president of the Thoroughbred Club of America and is currently secretary of the American Horse Council. Clay also owns a few racehorses, as he campaigned recent graded stakes winner Medallist and now stands him at Three Chimneys. Clay and wife Blythe have two children, Heather and Case.

Finish.... Date.... Race

1st 04.6.2008 Fantasy (GII) - Oaklawn Park
Settled early, put to drive in stretch, got up late for win

1st 03.16.2008 Honeybee (GIII) - Oaklawn Park
Took control in stretch, eased under the wire

1st 02.17.2008 Martha Washington Stakes - Oaklawn Park
Settled well early, quick turn of foot, dazzling 13 1/2 length win

1st 01.21.2008 Allowance - Fair Grounds
Simply much the best: 15-length winner

2nd 12.23.2007 Allowance - Fair Grounds
Gained lead in stretch, outkicked to the wire

7th 11.30.2007 Allowance - Fair Grounds
Race wide, never a factor

1st 10.29.2007 Maiden Special Weight - Delaware Park
Quick turn of foot, resounding 10-length victory

3rd 10.15.2007 Maiden Special Weight - Delaware Park
Settled early, made a bid, weakened late

2nd 04.15.2007 Maiden Special Weight - Delaware Park
Ran evenly throughout; second best