Dornoch Defying Odds to Win 2024 Belmont Stakes Gets Compared to Legendary Secretariat

The much-awaited finale to the Triple Crown concluded on Saturday, June 8, 2024. The 2024 Belmont Stakes was held at the iconic Saratoga Race Course, instead of its usual home, Belmont Park. All eyes were on the favorites: Seize the Grey, Mindframe, and Sierra Leone to stride to glory. However, in a stunning turnaround, Dornoch, the full sibling of the 2023 Kentucky Derby champion Mage, emerged to claim victory in the 2024 Belmont Stakes.

The 3-year-old colt, sired by Good Magic and out of Puca (by Big Brown), showcased his mettle by staying close to a swift early pace and maintaining his lead in the final stretch. Trained by Danny Gargan and piloted by Luis Saez, Dornoch overcame the adversity he faced in the crowded Kentucky Derby five weeks prior. This stellar performance deemed him worthy of a comparison to the legendary thoroughbred Secretariat. 

Dornoch’s stride to the finish line

At Saratoga’s main track, Dornoch completed the 1 and 1/4 mile race in 2:01.64, besting Mindframe by half a length and the favored Sierra Leone by another length. This triumph marked Gargan’s inaugural Grade 1 victory as a trainer. He expressed unwavering confidence in Dornoch, dismissing his recent underperformances and praising the colt’s impressive workouts.

“No one believed in this horse, but those last two races were throw out races,” Gargan continued. “I told Luis they wouldn’t beat him today. I never lost faith in him. He had tremendous works up here. He’s a big powerful horse. You just have to be patient and not lose focus and just grind away, and hopefully, you get lucky and win one of these.”

This was jockey Luis Saez’s second Belmont Stakes victory. Co-owner Randy Hall, overjoyed by the victory, told Bloodhorse.com “When he turned for home, no one was running him down.” They did not doubt that Dornoch would not be able to pull this off. Witnessing this monumental win, he continued “I would have bet a million dollars on him. He would not let them run him down. He has a heart as big as Secretariat.”

Secretariat, the crème de la crème of horse racing, is often remembered for his unbeatable record at the 1973 Belmont Stakes. The powerhouse won by a staggering 31 lengths. His time of 2:24 and the largest margin of victory set a record no one has been able to touch since. The Triple Crown victor was deemed Super Horse by Times Magazine and was even named as one of ESPN’s 50 greatest athletes. 

The young colt’s Keeneland acquisition and early career success

A consortium of owners, including West Paces Racing and R. A. Hill Stable, acquired Dornoch for $325,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The Kentucky-bred, named after a Scottish golf club, had previously enjoyed a three-win streak, notably clinching the G2 Remsen in a gritty rail-skimming performance.

Despite setbacks in the Blue Grass and Kentucky Derby, Saez, who had ridden Dornoch to victory at Saratoga and in the G2 Fountain of Youth, maintained his belief in the colt’s potential. “When I rode this horse here at Saratoga last year, I told Danny he had the Derby winner,” Saez continued. “Unfortunately the Derby is a crazy race, but we had a good trip today.”

In this year’s Belmont Stakes, Dornoch experienced a vastly different race. Starting from the sixth position in the center of the pack, the colt swiftly charged forward to win the race. Trainer Gargar expressed that it was pretty exciting “It’s a special thing just to be a part of these races, not to mention to win one with a horse you bought at Keeneland and have had it for its whole [racing] life. I spend so much time with him and my staff has done such a great job with him.“