While he still has a long ways to go to follow in his older brother's footsteps, Dornoch (Good Magic) proved he might just be up to the task with a game win in the GII Remsen S. to pick up 10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.
The younger full-brother of this year's GI Kentucky Derby winner and recently-retired stallion Mage, Dornoch took three tries to break his maiden but did so impressively at Keeneland in a gate-to-wire 6 1/2-length romp Oct. 14. Already stakes placed before even breaking his maiden, the Danny Gargan trainee went off favored for his third-straight race at 8-5 for an ownership group that includes West Paces Racing LLC, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, LLC, Two Eight Racing, LLC and Pine Racing Stables.
Hustled from the gate, the bay secured a leading position into the first turn amidst a wall of challengers on both sides. Longshot Private Desire (Constitution), who was last from the gate, sped up alongside Dornach to issue an early challenge as the colts hit a quarter in :23.09. The duo was joined by another longshot as Billal (Street Sense) moved between runners to make it three across the track up front past the half in :46.97. Relaxed under a loose rein from Luis Saez, Dornach spun for home seemingly ready to run away with it until 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) came charging from the back of the pack in an attempt to make it a graded double for his sire. The pair hit the furlong pole together and Sierra Leone had all the momentum, putting the favorite back to second against the fence. But Dornach was tenacious to the inside and re-rallied from what appeared to be a sure-beat to get up in the final strides past his rival.
“Kendrick [Carmouche] told me, when he rode him at Monmouth, he said 'Danny, if I had more time.'”, said Gargan. “When he saw the horse go by him, he said he gets to playing around, which he bounced off the rail today and when he gets out there by himself he loses focus. He said if he sees another horse, he's going to run back to him and today he proved it. It was something that was always said but never proven until today, but that was pretty impressive because I thought the other horse went way past him. For him to dig in and fight back like that, especially after the half mile in 46 [seconds], three quarters in 1:11, he ran the whole race.”
“He's a pretty nice horse, but I feel like he's still learning,” added Saez. “When he kind of feels a little alone, he was a little lost. As soon as the other one [No. 7, Sierra Leone] came to him, he saw him and he want to beat him. I can't describe this. He wants to win the race.”
Pedigree Note:
From the second crop of Good Magic, sire of now 16 stakes winners, Dornoch continued the good fortunes for dam Puca. In addition to seeing Mage wear the roses in May, the graded-stakes placed daughter of Big Brown brought $2.9m post-sale from John Stewart last month at Keeneland November carrying a full-sibling to both Mage and Dornoch. Her first foal, Gunning (Gun Runner), placed in a pair of stakes herself. Puca is a half-sister to GISW Finnegans Wake (Powerscourt {GB}). Her yearling, a colt by McKinzie, sold for $1.2m in September at Keeneland to Mayberry Farm.
2YO DORNOCH, son of @HillnDaleFarm stallion Good Magic, gets the win in the Remsen (G2) and 10 @KentuckyDerby points under @luissaezpty for @GarganRacing! pic.twitter.com/wNm3rWHGUL
— NYRA (🗽) (@TheNYRA) December 2, 2023
Saturday, Aqueduct
REMSEN S.-GII, $250,000, Aqueduct, 12-2, 2yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.30, my.
1–DORNOCH, 118, c, 2, by Good Magic
1st Dam: Puca (SW & GSP, $299,406), by Big Brown
2nd Dam: Boat's Ghost, by Silver Ghost
3rd Dam: Rocktheboat, by Summer Squall
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($325,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-West Paces Racing LLC, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, LLC, Two Eight Racing, LLC and Pine Racing Stables; B-Grandview Equine (KY); T-Danny Gargan; J-Luis Saez. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 4-2-2-0, $257,400. *Full to Mage, GISW, $2,507,450; 1/2 to Gunning (Gun Runner), MSP, $278,835. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sierra Leone, 118, c, 2, Gun Runner–Heavenly Love, by Malibu Moon. 'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($2,300,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG). O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing, LLC and Peter M. Brant; B-Debby M. Oxley (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $50,000.
3–Drum Roll Please, 118, c, 2, Hard Spun–Imply, by E Dubai. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($295,000 RNA Ylg '22 FTKJUL; $250,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT). O-Gold Square LLC; B-Barlar, LLC (PA); T-Brad H. Cox. $30,000.
Margins: NO, 4 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 1.70, 4.00, 8.20.
Also Ran: Moonlight, Where's Chris, Copper Tax, Domestic Product, Billal, Le Dom Bro, Private Desire.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
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