Classic Winner Dornoch a son of good magic who won his second Grade 1 Haskell Stakes (G1) on July 20, has occupied a spot on Spendthrift Farm’s watch list of promising horses since last fall.
Brother of 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Magician He was on the radar of many breeding farms when he won the Remsen Stakes (G2) by the narrowest of margins. Aqueduct Racetrack highly appreciated Sierra Leone .
“The stud game is very competitive, so you always have to find the right time to make an offer,” said Ned Toffey, general manager at Spendthrift. “Dornoch was certainly one of the horses we were interested in from the start, but you want to make sure they continue to maintain their form.”
For trainer Danny Gargan, the colt raised hopes with a 1 3/4-length win in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and then forced some farms to hit the pause button with a fourth-place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and a 10th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. He silenced the doubters in the Belmont Stakes (G1), won the American Classic (run this year at 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga Race Track) by half a length and beat Derby winner Mysterious Dan Preakness Stakes (G1) Winner Grasp the gray and Derby runners-up Sierra Leone.
Spendthrift made an offer and secured Dornoch’s breeding rights after his win at the Belmont.
“It’s not that you can’t tolerate a horse that doesn’t have that level 1 but generally you need it to be commercially viable,” Toffey said. “We’re delighted to add another talented, well-bred, high-class horse. I think he’ll be one of the favourites because his combination of racing record, physique and pedigree is very strong. He doesn’t have any weaknesses.”
Dornoch is raced by West Paces Racing, RA Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Pine Racing Stables and Two Eight Racing, the stable of former Major League Baseball all-star outfielder Jayson Werth. Connor Foley’s Oracle Bloodstock, acting as agent, purchased the colt for $325,000 from Runnymede Farm’s consignment at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Dornoch is out Big Brown winner of Puca, who also placed second in the Gazelle Stakes (G2). She has three racing foals including a Kentucky Derby winner, a Belmont winner and a multiple-award winner Shoots (Gunman ). All three racehorses were bred and raised by Robert Clay’s Grandview Equine at Runnymede.
Racing in his usual inside position, Dornoch is on course for the Haskell Stakes finish at Monmouth Park
Grandview purchased Puca as a foal to Gun Runner for $475,000 from Denali Stud at Fasig-Tipton’s 2018 November Sale, a mixed auction in Lexington. The mare will be offered at Keeneland’s November stallion sale last fall, where John Stewart’s Resolute Farm bought her for $2.9 million as a foal to Good Magic. The mare gave birth to a foal on April 4 and also has a 2-year-old colt on McKinzie name is Baeza not started but already skimmed Santa Anita Park.
If Dornoch enters the stud next year, he will join Airdrie Stud’s Mage as the first son of the famous third-placed stallion Good Magic, who is second to Ashford Stud. Align in progeny earnings but leads his sire’s class in the number of Grade 1 winners with two this year, as of July 22. Besides Dornoch, Good Magic is the sire of Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Muth .
Toffey said the farm had no qualms about taking on the son of a prestigious stallion who was just nine years old.
Amazing Magic at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Xalapa
“Good Magic will be a horse that people will continue to use. His stud fees have been very high this year and I expect them to go up a bit next year because he’s had a great year,” he said. “Dornoch is a bit different to his stallion, he’s not so big, he’s a good-sized animal with a lot of leg and range. Then we have Curlin is rising in the parental line and that brings a lot of security.”
This year, Good Magic is being held at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Xalapa with a prize pool of $125,000.
One trait Toffey likes best about Dornoch is his competitive spirit. In both the Belmont and Haskell, he was ahead in the long run. Frame and fight to win.
“There are a lot of horses out there that, if they don’t have someone to go with them, they’ll be pretty brave. But what I like about this horse is that I think he’s talented enough to run at the front with half concentration—he has so much talent—but when you look him in the eye, all of a sudden he becomes focused and competitive. He’s very strong at the front. We see that as a big plus. That’s what we’re looking for, a horse that’s naturally competitive and overwhelmingly talented. That makes him very attractive.”
