After withstanding Mindframe’s challenge in the Belmont (G1), Dornoch held off another serious bid from his rival in Saturday’s $1 million Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park. The Danny Gargan-trained colt never quit after being overtaken nearing the completing of the far turn, regaining the upper hand in deep stretch to score by 1 1/4 lengths.
The victory puts Dornoch in the driver’s seat in the three-year-old division, and he stamped his ticket to November’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) by taking the “Win & You’re In” race. Along with premier wins Belmont and Haskell, the bay colt also captured the Fountain of Youth (G2) earlier this season, and his only setbacks are a troubled 10th in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and a fourth in the Blue Grass (G1) after a failed attempt to rate.
Luis Saez was up on the game frontrunner, who earned his fourth stakes win for owners West Paces Racing, R.A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Two Eights Racing, and Pine Racing Stables. A full brother to 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage, Dornoch was off as the 3.40-1 third choice and completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.31.
Mindframe got hammered down to 8-5 favoritism in his second stakes attempt, but the lightly raced colt stumbled out of the starting gate and experienced a wide trip while hustling forward to stalk Dornoch, who showed the way from his rail post through opening splits in :23.32 and :48.08 while being pressed by Timberlake.
Dornoch came under serious pressure on the far turn from Timberlake and Mindframe, the latter appearing to be under a hold while advancing to challenge. Mindframe struck the front but didn’t corner well into the stretch, drifting out while passing the eighth pole with a short advantage, and he continued to drift in and out through the final furlong while racing out towards the middle of the track.
That proved too much for Mindframe to overcome because Dornoch is a fighter, battling back to record narrow wins in the Belmont and last year’s Remsen (G2). Dornoch determinedly kept plugging along the rail in the Haskell stretch, bravely prevailing once again, and he’s now earned more than $2.35 million from a 9-5-2-0 record.
Mindframe held second by five lengths over Grade 1 juvenile winner Timberlake, who was making his first start since a fourth as the favorite in the Arkansas Derby (G1). Next came Just Step On It, Sea Streak, Tuscan Sky, who never recovered from a sluggish start, and Jasper’s Pride.
Dornoch was bred in Kentucky by Grandview Equine and sold for $325,000 as a yearling at the 2022 Keeneland September sale. He’s out of the stakes-winning Big Brown mare Puca, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winning millionaire Finnegan’s Wake. Puca has an unraced two-year-old colt by McKinzie, Baeza.
