Gargan Expecting a Bounce-Back Effort From Dornoch

Dornoch  may be a 15-1 Belmont Stakes (G1) longshot in the eyes of everyone, except trainer Danny Gargan.

While the son of Good Magic   is entering the June 8 $2 million final leg of the Triple Crown at Saratoga Race Course off a pair of sub-par efforts, Gargan has a pair of legitimate excuses to counter any adverse opinions.

Two starts back, Gargan decided to rate the full brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage   in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), but the plan did not work out according to plan as the speedy 3-year-old never fired and finished a lackluster fourth, winding up 6 1/2 lengths in back of Sierra Leone .

Then in the Kentucky Derby, Dornoch drew the dreaded rail, and you can pretty much guess how that went. 

Shuffled back and checked hard in the early going, Dornoch was unable to flash his early speed and was 13th in the early stages en route to a 10th-place finish, 18 lengths behind Mystik Dan .

"Coming out of the one hole (in the Kentucky Derby) is impossible. He broke a step slow and (Mystik Dan's jockey) Brian Hernandez (Jr.) shut the door quick on him. Brian rode a great race," Gargan said. "We're just throwing the Derby out and going to the next race. He didn't run badly in the Blue Grass and we purposely rated him that day."

Since the May 4 Run for the Roses, Dornoch has been training in solid fashion at Saratoga, giving Gargan confidence that he will see the Dornoch who won the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) in March and defeated Belmont Stakes morning-line favorite and Kentucky Derby runner-up Sierra Leone last year in the Remsen Stakes (G2).

"He's doing good. I just hope we break good, get a good position, and get a clean trip so he can show what he can do. He's never run a bad race when he was able to get into the race and run a clean race," Gargan said.

Dornoch, who will break from post 6 in the field of 10, figures to be part of the early pace, with Gargan hoping that he can sit second, just off the leader.

"I think (Seize the Grey) has to go from the rail," Gargan said about the front-running Preakness Stakes (G1) winner, "because that's what you have to do from the rail. I'm curious to see what (trainer) Todd Pletcher does with (Mindframe) who is stretching out. He'll probably sit third or fourth. I think he'll sit in third, with us in second and if we don't go too fast, hopefully one of the three of us can win the race."

Dornoch, bred by Grandview Equine, is owned by West Paces Racing, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Pine Racing Stables, and the Two Eight Racing of former Major League Baseball all-star Jayson Werth.

He was bought for $325,000 from the Runnymede Farm consignment at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, prior to his big brother's classic win. Out of the Big Brown   mare Puca , he has a record of three wins and two seconds in seven starts. The grade 2 winner has earned $552,275.