Both Grandview Equine and stallion by breeder Robert Clay puca made history on June 8 when Dornoch delayed Mind frame to win the Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
Dornoch, son of Good magic —Puca, by Big brown is a full brother to last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1) winner, magician and Clay’s Grandview Equine bred both horses.
Clay, who founded Three Chimneys Farm in 1972, founded Grandview in 2018 with a pair of partners and after they purchased Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms’ three shares in Xalapa’s young sire Good Magic — 2017 champion 2-year-old male— they decided to buy three mares to support that stock.
Puca becomes just the ninth mare to produce two American Classic winners and the first since Better Than Honor produced the 2006 Belmont winner Jazil and 2007 Belmont winner Rags to riches . Before Better Than Honor, Weekend Surprise produced Summer Squall, winner of the 1990 Preakness Stakes (G1), and AP Indy, winner of the 1992 Belmont.
Before this year’s Kentucky Derby Clay told BloodHorse that it was interesting to see how different all of Puca’s foals were.
“Mage and Dornoch are nothing alike,” he said. “Mage is not a big, heavy horse, and Dornoch is a really nice, well-proportioned horse, again not big but strong. The McKinzie colt is a May colt but you will never Now knowing that. It’s a much bigger version of both of them, he’s really doing great.”
The first mare to produce two American classic winners was Maggie BB, 1879 Preakness winner Harold, and 1884 Belmont winner Panique. Others included: Cinderella (dam of Hastings, 1896 Belmont winner and 1898 Derby winner Plaudit); Lady Margaret (Margrave, 1896 Preakness winner and Masterman, 1902 Belmont winner); Burn (1900 Preakness winner The Hindu and 1906 Derby winner Sir Huon); Entertainment (1908 Preakness Royal Tourist and 1914 Holiday winner); and Prudery (1927 Derby winner Whiskery and 1928 Preakness winner Victorian).
Dornoch was also the second US classic winner for Good Magic, a son of curled up who represents $125,000 at Hill ‘n’ Dale.
On the track Puca was campaigned by Donegal Racing. She has been sold three times since the end of her racing career, for $275,000 at the November 2017 Keeneland Stud Sale before Grandview Equine purchased her.
She sold again last year, going for John Stewart’s Resolute Racing for $2.9 million at Keeneland November, where she was consigned by Case Clay Thoroughbred Management.
Mage sold for $235,000 as a juvenile and $290,000 as a 2-year-old. Dealer Oracle Bloodstock spent $325,000 to purchase Dornoch from the Runnymede Farm lot at the September 2022 Annual Sale in Keeneland.
Puca also produced Shoots A 5-year-old daughter was placed on bond Gun Runner ; Baeza, a raceless teenager McKinzie pony; and this year delivered another Good Magic colt. Resolute Bloodstock is the creator of that colt. The mare was bred back to Good Magic.
