DR. MARK DEDOMENICO 1937-2024

The local racing lost an icon last weekend when Dr. Mark Dedomenico, founder and owner of Pegasus training center and a major force in Washington and national racing circles, died at age 87.

A member of the Washington Racing Hall of Fame, Dedomenico campaigned 2010 Eclipse 3-Year-old Filly Blind Luck and a host of other graded winners with trainers Jerry Hollendorfer and Mike Puhich, including 2014 Gottstein Futurity and 2015 Emerald Derby champion Prime Engine.

It was away from racing, however, where Dedomenico achieved his greatest success. A preeminent heart surgeon and prominent in medical research, Dedomenico was instrumental in developing the coronary bypass surgery, the Guided Flow Aortic Heart Valve, and the Bionit Arterial Grafts that are credited with saving thousands of lives throughout the world.

“The combination of his medical background and his love of Thoroughbred racing that started with his father made Mark Dedomenico one of the most important figures in Washington racing,” said Emerald Downs founder Ron Crockett.

Dedomenico founded, owned and lived at Pegasus Training and Equine Rehabilitation Center in Redmond, Wash., a magnificent 100-acre facility utilized by many of the biggest trainers and owners in the sport. The champion Shared Belief, for example, spent several months rehabilitating at Pegasus. Dedomenico also owned Pro Sports Club in Bellevue, and a founding member of Hope Heart Institute in Seattle.

In 2015 Dedomenico was honored with the prestigious S. J. Agnew Special Achievement Award for his leadership, foresight and contributions to the Washington Thoroughbred industry.

“Dr. Dedomenico combined aptitude and vision to achieve success in several endeavors,” said Joe Withee, Emerald Downs’ Director of Publicity. “His decades of commitment to Thoroughbred racing led to the unmatched Pegasus training and rehabilitation facility.”

Dedomenico’s father, Paskey Dedomenico, was a renowned owner and breeder in Washington racing until his passing in 1989. The elder Dedomenico, a food manufacturer whose best-known product was Rice-a-Roni, founded Woods Creek Training Center in Monroe.

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