Breeders' Cup Connections: Schaefer Living the Dream with Dornoch

For many people, their passion for racing started with a horse. They watched Zenyatta dance to two Breeders' Cup victories, they had a strong opinion in the rivalry between Affirmed and Alydar or maybe they cheered American Pharoah on to a Grand Slam score when he won the 2015 Classic.

For Priscilla Schaefer, her love of racing all started with a backstretch. She was in high school when she attended her first horse race at Emerald Downs outside of Seattle, Washington. Watching as the horses entered the starting gate, Schaefer knew there was more to the story of how those equine athletes were trained up to the races. She looked past the track to the barns, where even at a quiet facility like Emerald Downs, the hum of activity was palpable from afar. Schaefer decided that the backstretch was where she wanted to be.

Schaefer had no familial connection to racing, but she had spent her childhood riding and working cattle on horseback on her family's ranch in Idaho. After graduating high school, she started searching for equine-related professions online and stumbled upon the North American Racing Academy, a community college-based riding program in Lexington, Kentucky that prepares students to pursue careers as jockeys, exercise riders, assistant trainers and other racing-related professions.

Her family and friends were shocked when Schaefer announced that she would be moving to Kentucky to pursue a career in an industry that up until then, they had never really heard much about.

“They were all surprised about it,” Schaefer admitted. “It was pretty out of the blue and I kind of made the decision fairly quickly. I'm very much a spur-of-the-moment kind of person. I didn't want to go to a normal four-year college with no idea what I wanted to study, but I knew I wanted to do something with horses. When the North American Racing Academy popped up and I started looking into it more, I knew that was it for me.”

In 2016, Schaefer packed her bags and moved to Kentucky. She was taking a chance on a dream, but never in her wildest imagination could she have dreamed up that eight years later, she would be the exercise rider for a horse like GI Belmont Stakes and GI Haskell Stakes winner Dornoch (Good Magic).

After graduating from the racing academy, Schaefer got her first job in the sport as an exercise rider for Mike Maker. Two years later, she began working for Danny Gargan. A few years into her time with the New York-based trainer, she was honored when Gargan assigned her to ride his stable star Tax (Arch). The multiple graded stakes-winning barn favorite retired shortly after, but just a few weeks later, another special horse arrived at the barn.

Schaefer spends some quality time with Dornoch after morning training has wrapped up for the day | Katie Petrunyak

The 2-year-old son of Good Magic was a full-brother to Mage, who at the time had just run a well-fought second to champion Forte (Violence) in the GI Florida Derby.

“I started riding Dornoch immediately and I liked him right from the start,” recalled Schaefer. “We all did. He has always been big and he's got a lot of personality. He knows what he is and he's not afraid to show it.”

The anticipation for Dornoch's debut grew after Mage won the GI Kentucky Derby. It took three tries for the bay colt to break his maiden, but from there he reeled off wins in the GII Remsen Stakes and GII Fountain of Youth Stakes. Things went a bit sideways when Dornoch finished fourth in the GI Blue Grass Stakes and then, after drawing the one hole, never showed much run in the Kentucky Derby. After that, Schaefer could tell that her mount was frustrated.

“He's one that likes winning and I swear he knows when he wins or when he doesn't win,” she explained. “You could tell going back to the track afterward that he was ready to go again. He was mad about it. So I was pretty confident going into the Belmont because of the way he was training.”

Schaefer's assertion proved correct in the Belmont as Dornoch handed his trainer a first career Grade I win and gave his partnership–which includes World Series champion Jayson Werth–plenty to celebrate. From there it was on to the Haskell, which is a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 2.

“We were very excited coming out of the Belmont and knowing that this race was a Win and You're In,” said Schaefer. “I have never been on a Win and You're In possibility, so this was big for me. He came out of the Belmont I think even better than going into the Belmont and his confidence was high.”

Despite drawing Post 1 again, Dornoch went to the front easily and was poised to fend off 4-5 favorite Mindframe (Constitution) as he led the field to the top of the stretch.

“It was a little nerve wracking going around the turn because he did get passed a little bit, but he wasn't giving up,” Schaefer said. “He did his usual thing where he looked them in the eye and said, 'Nope, not today.' Once he got past Mindframe again in the stretch and just started going, I knew he had it because he just digs in and he goes. I was there standing with Danny and Carol [Fisher, assistant trainer] and we're all jumping around screaming. It was so exciting. It was such a good feeling knowing that there was no real excuse that day. After the Belmont, people were saying it was a speed-favoring track and he got the perfect trip and all that, but I think Haskell Day he really showed that he is the real deal.”

Dornoch and Schaefer ahead of the GI Haskell | Sarah Andrew

Schaefer reported that Dornoch's self-confidence is at an all-time high now that he is back in Saratoga training up for the GI Travers on Aug. 24, but his laid-back personality around the barn is still intact.

“He is a goofy horse in general,” Schaefer said. “He can always spot a camera on the track. If you ever see pictures of him out there, he's always got one eye on the camera. He's just a big, happy horse. He goes out there every day and he wants everyone to know that he's there and he's not scared of anything.”

Schaefer recalled how one morning over the winter as they were training at Palm Meadows, a horse spooked and was running toward Dornoch and Schaefer as they were jogging along the rail.

“He goes to square up with the horse thinking he's going to get into a fight with him,” she said with a laugh. “He wasn't scared of him at all. He's funny because he can be very sweet, but he's very assertive at the same time. He's like, 'I am who I am. Don't mess with me.'”

There's a certain amount of pressure that comes with riding a horse like Dornoch, who Schaefer said is easily the best horse she has ever sat on. She explained that the key to handling such a major responsibility has been to focus on her work and let the rest fall into place.

“Just coming into the barn early and being around these animals, it's something I love and to be paid for doing something I love, I couldn't ask for anything better.”

Back in Idaho, there is a pocket of new racing fans tuning in to each of Dornoch's races. Schaefer said that her family and friends now understand a bit more about why she took a chance on pursuing something that she has always been so passionate about.

“They say once horses get in your blood, that's kind of it,” she said. “It's hard to get away from them. Just growing up with horses, I guess they've always been a part of my life. The satisfaction you have of working with these animals every single day and putting in the work, it's hard work but at the same time it's so satisfying when everything comes together and you see them cross the finish line ahead of everybody else. It's one of the most rewarding feelings I've ever had in my life.”