With stallion deal secured, Dornoch is pointed to Travers
After his victory in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Stakes, Dornoch walked off the van early this morning and into Danny Gargan’s barn at Saratoga. The trainer was still walking on air.
“We’re very happy. He came out of the race great and is doing great. We’re very pleased with him,” said Gargan, who was looking forward to his next scheduled start in the Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 24. “Hopefully, the next five weeks are as good as the last five weeks.”
Even before the colt announced his presence with an impressive win the Remsen (G2) last year, Gargan declared Dornoch to be the most talented horse he’d ever trained in his long career.
“By far he’s the best horse I’ve ever trained,” he said. “He keeps getting better with age. He’s figuring things out. He’s determined. Throughout the year we’ll get to see how good he can be.
“I think he’s a champion. He’s amazing.”
Dornoch, owned by the partnership of West Paces Racing, R.A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Two Eight Racing and Pine Racing Stable, is now clearly the leader in the battle for 3-year-old male divisional honors. He won the Belmont Stakes run at 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga two starts back, and the Travers will be contested at the same distance and on the same track.
“If he can win the Travers, he can be the 3-year-old champion. That would mean the world to me,” said Gargan, who has yet to have an Eclipse Award winner in his barn. “It would mean the world for the horse, because I believe in him that much. Luis (Saez, his regular rider) believes in him that much. This has been Luis’ favorite horse since the first time her rode him as a 2-year-old (in his first race one year ago at Saratoga).”
The ownership group secured a stallion deal with Spendthrift Farm for Dornoch. With the Haskell victory, Dornoch earned a guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 2. Providing all goes well until then, the Classic likely will be the colt’s final race before he retires to the farm and his next career.
“They had the deal on him after the Belmont,” said Gargan. “We couldn’t be happier that he’s going to one of the best stallion farms, if not the best farm in the world. We’re blessed with where he’s going to be and how it worked out for him.”
Still, that means that the son of 2018 Haskell winner Good Magic out of the dual classic-producing mare Puca and the full brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner and Haskell runner-up Mage will be in the barn for only a few more months.
“Every race with him is precious. With his pedigree, no one is ever expected to run at (age) 4. His pedigree is so big,” said Gargan. “He’s arguably the best-bred horse racing right now. We’ve always known there would be the day when he’d have to go be a stallion.”
For now, the plan is stick to the program and hold fast for the next five weeks coming into the Travers.
“We’ve just got to keep everything the same and just maintain,” he said. “We’re looking forward to what comes next.”
Incidentally, the inside post position in the Haskell turned out not to be so bad after all. Despite Gargan’s initial stated displeasure with drawing the rail, it worked to perfection. Saez and Dornoch took the inside trip to their 1 1/4-length victory and second straight Grade 1 score.
That has been the post position to Haskell success now for the past three winners, Dornoch, Geaux Rocket Ride and track and stakes record setter Cyberknife. In fact, 11 previous winners in the race’s storied history have started from there, the most of any post position.