Domino, a dark bay horse with a fiery spirit, was one of the greatest speed horses of the 19th century. Born at Hira Villa Stud near Lexington, Kentucky, Domino was bred by Maj. Barak G. Thomas and purchased as a yearling for $3,000 by James R. Keene and Foxhall Keene.
Domino's early years were marked by a tumultuous relationship with his jockey, Fred Taral. The horse despised Taral's heavy whip and would often try to bite him at every opportunity. As a result, a blanket had to be placed over Domino's head before Taral could climb aboard. Despite this, Domino went on to win all nine of his starts at the age of 2 in 1893, earning an impressive $170,790.
This feat easily surpassed the previous record career mark of $139,917 established by Kingston, which was earned in 138 starts. Domino's wins that year included the Great Eclipse Stakes, Futurity Stakes (the richest race of the year with a purse of $48,910), and several other notable stakes races.
As a 3-year-old, Domino began his campaign with a victory over Belmont Stakes winner Henry of Navarre in the Withers Mile. He went on to win five of his next seven races, including a dead heat in a match race with Henry of Navarre before a crowd of 20,000 at Sheepshead Bay.
Domino's achievements did not go unnoticed. He was crowned Horse of the Year and Champion 2-Year-Old Male in 1893. His impressive record of 19-2-1 from 25 career starts earned him an astonishing $193,550.
After retiring from racing late in 1895 due to a bad foot, Domino went on to produce 19 foals before his unexpected death from spinal meningitis in 1897. Eight of these foals went on to become stakes winners, including Caps and Bells, the first American-bred horse to win the English Oaks.
Domino's legacy lives on through his impressive record, which stood for nearly four decades until Man o' War surpassed it in 1920. His juvenile season earnings of $170,790 remained the standard for an impressive 38 years until Top Flight came along in 1931.
Today, Domino is remembered as "The Black Whirlwind" due to his dark coat and his incredible speed on the track. His marble headstone at his gravesite reads: "Here lies the fleetest runner the American turf has ever known, and one of the gamest and most genuine of horses."