With impeccable blood lines, Dornoch was considered to be one of the elite 3-year-old colts of this year.
Then came troubled trips in both the Blue Grass Stakes and the Kentucky Derby that seemingly relegated the son of Good Magic to ‘also ran’ status.
On a pleasant June day over a fast Saratoga track, Dornoch reminded everyone of his potential for greatness.
Under jockey Luis Saez, Dornach tactically stalked the early pace and drew off to win the 156th Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.
Dornoch was sent away at 17-1, the longest odds for a Belmont winner in three years. When the field of 10 broke from the gate, Saez sent Dornoch to the lead to rate off pacesetter and Preakness winner Seize the Grey.
“That was the plan with Dornoch, to take the lead if we can,” Saez said. “We knew that Seize the Gray was pretty fast and it was perfect because he was in the one hole so we could control the pace from there. We were sitting in the perfect spot. That was the path we were looking for.”
Seize the Grey led the field out to a modest fraction of 22.99 seconds for the opening quarter mile and 47.25 seconds for the half mile. The two led the field heading into the far turn with Mindframe just a length off the pace.
Dornoch and Seize the Gray led the field into the homestretch as Mindframe swung wide to mount his stretch run. When Seize the Grey faded after passing the 1/8th pole, Dornoch shifted inside and readied for Mindframe’s challenge.
However, Mindframe lugged out in deep stretch, giving Dornoch just enough of a gap to win the race by a half-length. He posted a winning time of 2:01.64 in the 1 1/4-mile test.
Sierra Leone, the post-time favorite, mounted a late charge as is his style to finish third. However, the colt could not overcome a poor break when he was shuffled deep in the field.
Dornoch’s win gave trainer Danny Gargan his first ever Triple Crown win, while Saez earned his second Belmont Stakes win. The win vindicated a 10th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby where Gargan said his horse never got a chance after being cut off by eventual winner Mystik Dan.
Gargan took the blame for not having him placed correctly in the Blue Grass Stakes, where he finished fourth, but always knew that if given a clean trip most any rival would have a tough time chasing him down.
“He’s one of the top 3-year-olds in the country. We have always thought it,” Gargan said. “Today it was anyone’s race and he won. If he gets the run, he’s always going to be tough to beat.”
The win was also sweet for former major league outfielder Jayson Werth, who is a 10 percent owner in Dornoch. Werth, who had a 15-year career and earned a World Series ring as a member of the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies, ranks this accomplishment right alongside his personal on-field achievement.
“I would put it right up there with winning on the biggest stage. Horse racing is the most underrated sport in the world bar none,” Werth said. “You’ve got the Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont — and we just won the Belmont. This is as good as it gets in horse racing and as good as it gets in sports.”
–Field Level Media
