Dornoch Stuns Crowd, Claims Victory in First Saratoga Belmont Stakes at 17-1 Odds

Saratoga Springs, New York – Luis Saez said to trainer Danny Gargan, “You have the Derby winner,” after riding Dornoch for the first time at Saratoga Race Course last summer.

Though it did not materialize, Dornoch fulfilled that hope on Saturday when he triumphed in Saratoga’s inaugural Belmont Stakes, fending off Mindframe and hugging the rail to cause a significant upset at 17-1 odds in the Triple Crown finale.

The horse that finished in 10th place in the Kentucky Derby after a difficult journey was co-owned by World Series winner Jayson Werth won the Belmont five weeks later. Dornoch held on for a half-length triumph this time, holding off leader Seize the Grey and passing the Preakness winner in the final stretch.

It ranks right up there with triumphing on the grandest platform, in my opinion. Major League Baseball champion Werth, who played for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008, claimed that horse racing is the world’s most underappreciated sport. “You get the Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont, so it’s the biggest game.”

The Belmont is now ours. In horse racing, this is as good as it gets. In sports, it’s the best there is.

Gargan has won his first Triple Crown race, and Saez, who claimed he never lost faith in Dornoch, has won his second Belmont.

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Gargan stated, “We’ve always thought he’s one of the best 3-year-olds in the country.” He won the race because we let him run it. He will always be difficult to beat if he gets to run.

This is the sixth year in a row that the winners of all three Triple Crown races have been different horses. Honor Marie finished fourth, followed by Sierra Leone, the Derby runner-up who started as the favorite.

To win, Dornoch paid $37.40; to place, $17.60; and to show, $8.10. After a disorganized start and additional directional issues, Mindframe, trained by Todd Pletcher, paid $6.80 to place and $4.20 to show, while Sierra Leone paid $2.60 to show.

Dornoch, who won at the track dubbed the “graveyard of favorites” due to its propensity for upsets, had no such problems.

According to Gargan, “no one believed in this horse.” It is incomprehensible. He’s a really gifted horse.

It’s a historic Belmont because, in the 161-year history of the venue, the race was held in Saratoga for the first time, even though there was no Triple Crown up for grabs.

The Triple Crown event is scheduled to return to Belmont Park in 2026, but not until after a mammoth $455 million rehabilitation project is completed at the track.

Having it at Saratoga necessitated shortening the race to 1 1/4 miles from the usual “test of the champion” 1 1/2-mile distance that has been a hallmark of the Belmont for nearly a century.

The temporary change contributed to getting more quality horses into the field who previously ran in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, or both. At 1 1/4-mile distance, Dornoch crossed the wire in a time of 2:01.64.

Gargan doesn’t think if the race were at the usual distance the result would’ve been any different.

“I don’t think anybody was getting to him,” Gargan said. “I’d have to watch it again. I kind of got excited jumping around there when he got clear. I didn’t see anybody making a bold move.”

Dornoch now has the Belmont Stakes under his belt, but the 3-year-old still has a lot of miles on him. Gargan is eyeing another race potentially this year taking on a similar field and course.

“I wouldn’t be shocked if we just wait and run him in the Travers,” Gargan said. “But, we’ll have to wait and see.”