By Steve Sherack
In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.
Trainer Danny Gargan launched the careers of GI Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch (Good Magic) as well as GIII Matt Winn Stakes winner Society Man (Good Magic) during the 2023 meeting at Saratoga.
Both starters in this year's GI Kentucky Derby, neither won on debut. Dornoch finished a strong second behind fellow future Classic winner Seize the Grey (Arrogate) in his unveiling in the Saratoga slop while Society Man was a well-beaten seventh first time out behind subsequent five-time stakes winner Valentine Candy (Justify).
After unleashing 2-year-old filly Complexion (Complexity) with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance during the Belmont at the Big A meeting earlier this spring (she followed with a seventh-place finish after losing her race in the starting gate in the Schuylerville Stakes on opening day), a trio from Gargan's juvenile class of 2024 stamped themselves as ones to watch despite not visiting the winner's circle at the Spa this summer.
“Obviously, last year's crop is probably gonna be hard to beat with two Derby starters out of 16 babies,” Gargan said. “We've had a winner already with Complexion, who's really talented. We didn't have as many babies this year–we only had like a dozen–but we're really proud of the ones we have.”
Danny Gargan celebrates Dornoch's win in the Belmont Stakes | Sarah Andrew
By the same leading young sire as the aforementioned unplaced Kentucky Derby duo as well as the Gargan-trained 2022 GII Remsen Stakes winner Dubyuhnell, Snowyte (f, 2, Good Magic–Snow Fall, by War Front) crossed the wire a strong second after doing all of the heavy lifting first time out going seven furlongs at Saratoga Sept. 1.
Well-backed at 5-2 after firing a four-furlong bullet in :47 4/5 (1/94) Aug. 25, Snowyte was sixth out of the stalls and ridden to the front by Luis Saez from her inside draw. She set a pressured pace through fractions of :22.50 and :45.14, kicked for home as the one to catch, and, after racing down most of the stretch on her left lead, was run down late to finish second by 2 1/2 lengths to second-time starter Quickick (McKinzie). Snowyte earned a 74 Beyer for the effort.
QUICKICK, the 2YO daughter of @Gainesway stallion McKinzie, breaks her maiden in the seventh race with @DavisJockey aboard for trainer @TomAmossRacing. pic.twitter.com/lMyo94L11E
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) September 1, 2024
Snowyte, a $250,000 Keeneland September yearling, was produced by a two-time stakes winner and half-sister to MGSW Upperline (Maria's Mon). She is campaigned in partnership by Pine Racing Stables, Belmar Racing and Breeding, LLC and R. A. Hill Stable. Breeder Don Alberto Stable is also on the ownership line.
“She's my favorite,” Gargan said. “I think she's gonna be a super-talented horse. It was one of those situations where it was seven-eighths and we never worked her past a half-mile. She didn't have that many breezes, but we went ahead and wanted to get her started to just get a race in her to get her going. She'll probably run back at Keeneland opening week. I think she can be any kind of horse in the future.”
After working in company with Dornoch and not backing down one bit in a four-furlong breeze recorded in a visually impressive :47 1/5 (3/175) Aug. 8, there was plenty of buzz surrounding Rookie Card (c, 2, Adios Charlie–Glamalert, by Vindication) as he lined up as the 5-2 second-choice in the highly coveted Travers Day six-furlong maiden special weight.
Hustled to the front by Dylan Davis after not getting off to the sharpest of beginnings from his two draw, Rookie Card was hounded from the outside by the slightly favored Todd Pletcher-trained first-time starter Tip Top Thomas (Volatile) through an opening quarter in a sharp :21.95. Tip Top Thomas turned up the heat on the far turn and reached even terms with Rookie Card as they approached the eighth pole. Rookie Card dug down gamely along the rail and wasn't going out without a fight, but just couldn't withstand a final surge from Tip Top Thomas, who got up to win by a head and earn a 'TDN Rising Star' badge in a blanket finish. It was another nose back to third-place finisher Keewaydin (Instagrand), who came storming home down the center with giant strides after tracking the top two throughout. Fourth-place finisher Sovereignty (Into Mischief) rallied from last of 10 to finish a better-than-it-looked fourth in a race completely dominated on the front end. The top three all earned matching 85 Beyer Speed Figures.
TIP TOP THOMAS, the 2YO son of @Three_Chimneys stallion Volatile, breaks his maiden in the seventh race with @iradortiz up for trainer @PletcherRacing. pic.twitter.com/5GCePwCdfU
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) August 24, 2024
Bred in Florida by Ocala Stud and Centaur Farms, Inc., the son of Adios Charlie is out of a winning half-sister to GISW Swift Temper (Giant's Causeway). The $165,000 OBS June breezer (:21) carries the colors of R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables.
“It's a big-time raceday,” Gargan said. “We knew we were gonna catch some good horses. He broke just a touch slow and rushed up. They went super fast and came back with a big number. If Todd's horse would've drawn the rail–the rail was dead that day–and we draw the outside and sit the trip instead of rushing, we win the race. It's just unfortunate. He's a really nice horse and we're looking forward to running him back. He's probably gonna run [at Aqueduct] on Sept. 21.”
Rookie Card (inside) & Tip Top Thomas throw down in the loaded Travers Day maiden special weight | Sarah Andrew
Dragoneer (c, 2, McKinzie–Altamura, by Artie Schiller) rallied smartly from last of 10 after an impossible journey on debut going 1 1/16 miles over the Saratoga lawn Aug. 17. The 13-1 chance hesitated a touch at the start and caboosed the field through fractions of :23.61 and :48.74 over the good going. He began to enter the picture while traveling nicely under a tight hold beneath Kendrick Carmouche heading into the far turn and saved ground along the hedge as they turned for home. He quietly made progress through all of the chaos in the stretch and came rocketing home while racing in tight quarters between horses to finish in a field-best :30.53 while crossing the line third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths behind Concord Green (War Front).
CONCORD GREEN shocks the field with a 13-1 upset in the second race, guided by the unstoppable @DavisJockey for trainer Shug McGaughey! pic.twitter.com/qgnN1r4hcI
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) August 17, 2024
Dragoneer hails from the first crop of freshman sire McKinzie and was produced by three-time stakes winner Altamura. He brought $450,000 from Carl F. and Yurie Pascarella, R. A. Hill Stable and Belmar Racing and Breeding, LLC, after breezing in :9 4/5 at OBS March. He previously sold for $135,000 as a KEENOV weanling and RNA'd for $125,000 as a KEESEP yearling.
“He just never had anywhere to get through,” Gargan said. “He's a really talented horse, we really like him. It just was a little unfortunate that he had no chance to slip through. He's a two-turn horse and he ran so well. He's gonna run back on the grass Sept. 28 at Aqueduct.”
The 'Second Chances' Honor Roll is headed by Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin), fellow two-time Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) and GISWs A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo), Honor A. P. (Honor Code), Locked (Gun Runner), Paradise Woods (Union Rags) and Speaker's Corner (Street Sense).
The blinkered Dragoneer (yellow saddle towel, burgundy silks) rallies through traffic to finish third on debut over the Saratoga lawn Aug. 17 | Sarah Andrew
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
