Kentucky Derby trail: Gargan takes a 2nd shot with maiden winner

Society Man will get another try at his first stakes victory in the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial, a nine-furlong test for sophomores slated for April 6 at Aqueduct.

The Wood Memorial is the final stop in New York on the road to the Kentucky Derby, awarding the top five finishers 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points toward the prestigious Grade 1 test on May 4 at Churchill Downs.

Society Man, a son of Good Magic, enters the Wood Memorial from a deep-closing graduation traveling a one-turn mile on March 9 at Aqueduct, rallying from 10 lengths off the pace to take command at the stretch call and drawing clear to a three-length victory under Luis Rivera Jr., who Gargan said will likely retain the mount in the Wood. The effort garnered a career-best 82 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form.

“The kid rode him good,” trainer and co-owner Danny Gargan said of Rivera. “He sat back there and didn’t get in a hurry. He showed a nice turn of foot and opened up there and won pretty easy. His pedigree suggests two turns, so we don’t think distance will be a problem. We just have to hope he’s mature enough to run with these kind of horses.”

Society Man debuted with a distant off-the-board effort sprinting six furlongs in July at Saratoga ahead of a five-month respite. He returned with a game third-place effort in December at Aqueduct when stretched out considerably to nine furlongs and two turns for the first time, settling for show honors after a bumpy beginning and a five-wide bid in the stretch.

“The first time I ran him two turns, he needed a race. We had turned him out and gelded him, and he had a big gap in races,” said Gargan. “I thought he just needed one to get back running, and then we went ahead and took a shot in the Withers. We’ve always wanted to run him long.”

In the nine-furlong, Grade 3 Withers in February, Society Man again did not have a clean break and trailed in eighth of nine in the three path with no strong response when asked to pick it up in the final turn.

“We expected him to run better in the Withers, but he broke in a tangle and never really got running,” said Gargan. “We have always liked him, and he’s a nice gelding. We’re just taking another chance and seeing if he can move forward. If he can hit the board, it would be great.”

Society Man was reluctant to load into the gate in his latest start, and both of his two-turn efforts were hindered by poor breaks, but Gargan said he is confident the chestnut has improved on his gate skills in his morning schooling.

“He was pretty good the other day, so let’s hope he keeps getting better,” said Gargan. “A lot of the Good Magics can be a little feisty.”

Society Man had his first work since his win when covering a half-mile in 47.88 seconds on Friday over the Belmont Park dirt training track in company with the stakes-placed Radio Red. Gargan said he was pleased with the effort.

“I wanted to get a good work this week,” said Gargan. “He’s a little bit chunkier and to get the distance, I want to get him tightened up. He had a strong work and then we’ll bring him back next week and go a little slower – 49 (seconds) or 48 and change.”

In addition to Society Man, Gargan will have even more to look forward to on April 6 as he sends out the well-regarded Dornoch in the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland on the heels of a win in the Fountain of Youth (G2) on March 2 at Gulfstream Park.

Dornoch is a full brother to last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Mage and began his Kentucky Derby journey in New York with a thrilling nose score over next-out Risen Star (G2) winner Sierra Leone in the Remsen (G2) on Dec. 2 at the Big A.

This year’s Remsen has proven to be a key race as half of the 10 starters have gone on to win stakes as sophomores. In addition to Dornoch and Sierra Leone, third-place Drum Roll Please captured the Jerome in January here; sixth-place Copper Tax won Laurel Park’s Private Terms on Saturday; and seventh-place Domestic Product won the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) on March 9. Additionally, ninth-place Le Dom Bro exited the Remsen to finish second in Gulfstream Park’s Swale and Fountain of Youth (G2).

Gargan said he is appreciative of the opportunity to send out contenders in two Kentucky Derby preps.

“It will be fun to have a horse in the Blue Grass and one in the Wood on the same day,” said Gargan. “It’s not easy. I’ve been in the Wood once with Tax and he ran well (runner-up in 2019), so it would be really cool if this horse can run well.”