Society Man capped a big weekend for trainer Danny Gargan and Hill 'n' Dale stallion Good Magic with a powerful victory in the GIII Matt Winn S. at Churchill Downs Sunday. Like his GI Belmont S.-winning stablemate Dornoch (Good Magic), Society Man was making his first start since the May 4 GI Kentucky Derby, where he was 16th. The chestnut gelding was unhurried and settled near the back of the pack while racing along the rail and avoiding traffic on the first turn. Favored Who Dey rushed between foes to take charge into the backstretch. West Saratoga was first to take on the favorite, striding to the lead midway on the far turn, but his advantage was short lived as Rocketeer stormed to the lead three wide to take over into the lane. Society Man, meanwhile, was quietly making progress while saving ground the whole way and tipped out two paths to rally outside Who Dey and Rocketeer. He powered to the lead at midstretch and kicked clear as the gritty Who Dey clawed his way back into second just ahead of the late-closing Next Level.
“He was on the bit and looked great in the paddock,” said winning rider Corey Lanerie. “I could tell he was ready to go. I was a little bit further back than I thought we'd be, but around the three-eighths pole, I lowered my hands and he took me where I needed to be. I was able to get clear at the eighth-pole and he took off. He was fun to ride. He's shown he's been able to do a couple of things in his career and has some different dimensions. The way he was able to relax today, it showed me he doesn't have a problem with longer distances than this. I'm very grateful to Danny and his whole team for the opportunity to ride him. He and his team had a big weekend. I'm glad to have played a small part in it.”
Aboard the beaten favorite, Brian Hernandez, Jr., said, “Down the backside, he was traveling really well and within himself. He took me to the spot between horses on the lead and was doing it on his own. When Tyler [Gaffalione, aboard Rocketeer] engaged us he dug in and tried to fight back against him. He ran a good race.”
Society Man, who opened 2024 with an eighth-place effort while still seeking his first career win in the Feb. 3 GIII Withers S., made it to the winner's circle next time out with a three-length score going one mile at Aqueduct Mar. 9. He earned his spot in the Kentucky Derby with a runner-up effort behind Resilience (Into Mischief) in the GII Wood Memorial S.
Pedigree Notes:
Good Magic, who was represented by his second Classic winner when Dornoch came home first in the GI Belmont S. Saturday, now has 10 graded stakes winners to his credit. His three Grade I winners include last year's GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage, GI Champagne S. winner Blazing Sevens, and GI Arkansas Derby winner Muth.
Colonel John is also the broodmare sire of Derby winner Mystik Dan.
Stakes-placed You Cheated, in foal to Yoshida (Jpn), sold for $12,000 at the 2022 Keeneland January sale and produced a colt that year. She produced a colt by American Anthem this year.
#7 SOCIETY MAN ($14.78) gets his first graded victory in the $400,000 Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. @coreylanerie piloted the three-year-old Good Magic gelding for trainer @GarganRacing. pic.twitter.com/wRzdQ6sMUs
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) June 9, 2024
Sunday, Churchill Downs
MATT WINN S.-GIII, $395,000, Churchill Downs, 6-9, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:42.33, ft.
1–SOCIETY MAN, 118, g, 3, by Good Magic
1st Dam: You Cheated (SP, $160,254), by Colonel John
2nd Dam: Zipper Zapper, by City Zip
3rd Dam: Storm Front, by A.P. Indy
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($85,000 Ylg
'22 KEESEP). O-Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, West Paces
Racing LLC, GMP Stables LLC, Carl F. Pascarella and Yurie
Pascarella; B-SF Bloodstock LLC (KY); T-Danny Gargan; J-Corey
Lanerie. $240,525. Lifetime Record: 7-2-1-1, $437,230.
Werk Nick Rating: B+.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Who Dey, 118, c, 3, Liam's Map–Pelipa, by Indian Charlie.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Maccabee Farm (OH);
T-Thomas Drury, Jr. $72,750.
3–Next Level, 118, c, 3, Vino Rosso–Devious d'Oro, by Medaglia
d'Oro. ($20,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Don't Tell My Wife Stables;
B-White Fox Farm (KY); T-J. Keith Desormeaux. $38,875.
Margins: 2HF, NO, 3/4. Odds: 6.39, 1.40, 12.49.
Also Ran: Rocketeer, West Saratoga, Mighty Message, Northern Flame, Luna Tap. Scratched: Nash, Scatify.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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