The younger full-brother of this year's GI Kentucky Derby winner and recently-retired stallion Mage, Dornoch took three tries to break his maiden but did so impressively at Keeneland in a gate-to-wire 6 1/2-length romp Oct. 14. Already stakes placed before even breaking his maiden, the Danny Gargan trainee went off favored for his third-straight race at 8-5 for an ownership group that includes West Paces Racing LLC, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, LLC, Two Eight Racing, LLC and Pine Racing Stables.

Hustled from the gate, the bay secured a leading position into the first turn amidst a wall of challengers on both sides. Longshot Private Desire (Constitution), who was last from the gate, sped up alongside Dornach to issue an early challenge as the colts hit a quarter in :23.09. The duo was joined by another longshot as Billal (Street Sense) moved between runners to make it three across the track up front past the half in :46.97. Relaxed under a loose rein from Luis Saez, Dornach spun for home seemingly ready to run away with it until 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) came charging from the back of the pack in an attempt to make it a graded double for his sire. The pair hit the furlong pole together and Sierra Leone had all the momentum, putting the favorite back to second against the fence. But Dornach was tenacious to the inside and re-rallied from what appeared to be a sure-beat to get up in the final strides past his rival.

“Kendrick [Carmouche] told me, when he rode him at Monmouth, he said 'Danny, if I had more time.'”, said Gargan. “When he saw the horse go by him, he said he gets to playing around, which he bounced off the rail today and when he gets out there by himself he loses focus. He said if he sees another horse, he's going to run back to him and today he proved it. It was something that was always said but never proven until today, but that was pretty impressive because I thought the other horse went way past him. For him to dig in and fight back like that, especially after the half mile in 46 [seconds], three quarters in 1:11, he ran the whole race.”

“He's a pretty nice horse, but I feel like he's still learning,” added Saez. “When he kind of feels a little alone, he was a little lost. As soon as the other one [No. 7, Sierra Leone] came to him, he saw him and he want to beat him. I can't describe this. He wants to win the race.”

Pedigree Note:
From the second crop of Good Magic, sire of now 16 stakes winners, Dornoch continued the good fortunes for dam Puca. In addition to seeing Mage wear the roses in May, the graded-stakes placed daughter of Big Brown brought $2.9m post-sale from John Stewart last month at Keeneland November carrying a full-sibling to both Mage and Dornoch. Her first foal, Gunning (Gun Runner), placed in a pair of stakes herself. Puca is a half-sister to GISW Finnegans Wake (Powerscourt {GB}). Her yearling, a colt by McKinzie, sold for $1.2m in September at Keeneland to Mayberry Farm.

2YO DORNOCH, son of @HillnDaleFarm stallion Good Magic, gets the win in the Remsen (G2) and 10 @KentuckyDerby points under @luissaezpty for @GarganRacing! pic.twitter.com/wNm3rWHGUL

— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) December 2, 2023

Saturday, Aqueduct
REMSEN S.-GII, $250,000, Aqueduct, 12-2, 2yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.30, my.
1–DORNOCH, 118, c, 2, by Good Magic
          1st Dam: Puca (SW & GSP, $299,406), by Big Brown
          2nd Dam: Boat's Ghost, by Silver Ghost
          3rd Dam: Rocktheboat, by Summer Squall
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($325,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-West Paces Racing LLC, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, LLC, Two Eight Racing, LLC and Pine Racing Stables; B-Grandview Equine (KY); T-Danny Gargan; J-Luis Saez. $137,500. Lifetime Record: 4-2-2-0, $257,400. *Full to Mage, GISW, $2,507,450; 1/2 to Gunning (Gun Runner), MSP, $278,835. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sierra Leone, 118, c, 2, Gun Runner–Heavenly Love, by Malibu Moon. 'TDN Rising Star'. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($2,300,000 Ylg '22 FTSAUG). O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Rocket Ship Racing, LLC and Peter M. Brant; B-Debby M. Oxley (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $50,000.
3–Drum Roll Please, 118, c, 2, Hard Spun–Imply, by E Dubai. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($295,000 RNA Ylg '22 FTKJUL; $250,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT). O-Gold Square LLC; B-Barlar, LLC (PA); T-Brad H. Cox. $30,000.
Margins: NO, 4 3/4, 2HF. Odds: 1.70, 4.00, 8.20.
Also Ran: Moonlight, Where's Chris, Copper Tax, Domestic Product, Billal, Le Dom Bro, Private Desire.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Favored at 9-5 on the morning line is Program Trading (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who will try to give Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables a record-breaking three wins in the race. The ridgling made rapid progress this season, capping a three-race winning streak with a head defeat of Webslinger (Constitution) in the GI Saratoga Derby over yielding turf Aug. 5. Accordingly made the 7-10 chalk for the Sept. 9 GIII Virginia Derby, the bay led into the final furlong only to be upstaged by Integration (Quality Road), who franked the form in the GII Hill Prince S. in his next appearance.

“He was a little close to a fast pace,” Brown said of the Virginia Derby. “It might have did him in in the end where he got caught by a good horse. Hopefully he'll work out a better trip this time.”

Brown also sends out Redistricting (GB) (Kingman {GB}) for Klaravich, who exits a two-length Aqueduct allowance victory Oct. 28.

“He finished well,” Brown said, “and I think he's ready to step back up into a big race like this.”

Webslinger has been out of the top three just once in his eight starts this term and was a luckless third when last seen in the GII Twilight Derby on the Breeders' Cup undercard Nov. 4.

The two horses that finished ahead of him also line up here. Seal Team (GB) (War Front) came from worse than midfield to upstage Godolphin's Silver Knott (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) by a half-length, but might need a touch of luck from the widest alley in this field of nine.

Two-year-old fillies head to the post in the co-featured GIII Jimmy Durante S. Brown looks set to saddle the favorite in the one-mile test in the form of Lady de Berry (Practical Joke), a debut sixth to future GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Just F Y I (Justify) on Saratoga debut Aug. 26 before graduating impressively going two turns over the Keeneland turf course Oct. 27. Go With Gusto (Medaglia d'Oro), third in the GI Summer S., failed to draw into the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and was a mildly troubled second in the Qatar Gold Mile in the Breeders' Cup Friday lidlifter. She tries sex-restricted company for the first time in her career.

Cigar Mile Anchors Big Weekend at the Big A

Downgraded though it has been and lacking a standout runner, Saturday's GII Cigar Mile H. still offers a half-million dollar purse and a full field of 12 to challenge handicappers.

Trainer Todd Fincher makes a rare appearance on the New York circuit, but he brings in a horse with a big chance in the form of Joe Peacock Jr.'s Senor Buscador (Mineshaft). Two-for-three over this distance, including the GIII Ack Ack S. going Churchill's one-turn configuration last October, the 5-year-old entire took advantage of a strong pace up ahead to upset the GII San Diego H. at Del Mar this past July. Fourth in the GI Pacific Classic and third in the GI Awesome Again S., he ran on decently to finish seventh, beaten 5 1/4 lengths, behind White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic Nov. 4.

“He ran really good in the Breeders' Cup,” Fincher said. “He just got way, way back–almost 19 lengths back. I think he started his run too early. He made up a ton of ground down the backside and he actually flattened a little down the lane, which I've never seen him do.”

Senor Buscador worked a best-of-27 five furlongs over the Belmont training track in 1:00 4/5 Nov. 25 in preparation for the Cigar Mile.

Qatar Racing's Everso Mischievous (Into Mischief) looks the main danger as he goes for his fourth straight victory and fifth from seven starts. Picked up for just $85,000 at last year's Keeneland Horses of Racing Age Sale, the bay broke his maiden at second asking and has not tasted defeat in five months, including wins in the Sept. 23 Harrods Creek S. at Keeneland and the GII Forty Niner S. over this course and distance Oct. 28, where he had the re-opposing Dr Ardito (Liam's Map) and Accretive (Practical Joke) in his wake.

Dornoch (Good Magic), the full-brother to recently retired GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage, looks a handful facing nine other juvenile males in the GII Remsen S. The $325,000 KEESEP acquisition was second in his first two trips to the races, including the Aug. 26 Sapling S. at Monmouth, and was an impressive 6 1/4-length maiden winner at Keeneland Oct. 14. Moonlight (Audible) matched Dornoch's 90 Beyer Speed Figure when airing by eight in a local rained-off maiden Sept. 28, but was fractionally disappointing when runner-up to Liberal Arts (Arrogate) in a sloppy renewal of the GIII Street Sense S. at Churchill Sept. 29. Rick Dutrow, Jr. has won with eight of his last 24 starters dating back to the Breeders' Cup Classic. The following afternoon he sent out Where's Chris (Twirling Candy) to upset the previously unbeaten Book'em Danno (Bucchero) in the Nashua S.

The fillies' counterpart, the GII Demoiselle S., is topped by Repole Stable's Life Talk (Gun Runner), third in the local GI Frizette S. Oct. 7 ahead of an even fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Shimmering Allure (Enticed) is the most experienced of this group, having made six previous racetrack appearances. A maiden winner at fourth asking in a restricted event at Churchill in September, the $40,000 Fasig-Tipton July grad was a midpack fourth in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. at Keeneland Oct. 6, but bounced back to best Vino Rouge (Vino Rosso) by three convincing lengths in the Nov. 5 Tempted S.

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Led by the GI Cigar Mile H. and three other graded events, Aqueduct's loaded 10-race card will be in the spotlight in South Ozone Park Saturday.

Zandon (Upstart), winner of the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. and third-place finisher in the GI Kentucky Derby this spring, cuts back to a one-turn mile for Chad Brown in the feature. The dark bay, favored at even-money on the Cigar Mile's morning-line, also finished third in the GI Runhappy Travers S. and second in the GI Pennsylvania Derby last time Sept. 24.

Fellow Grade I-winning sophomore White Abarrio (Race Day) will also shorten up here. He tired to fifth after setting the pace in the Pennsylvania Derby last time. The handsome gray has been firing bullets at Saffie Joseph, Jr.'s Gulfstream Park base for this.

Two-time Grade I winner Mind Control (Stay Thirsty), drawn widest of all in post seven (he'll move in one slot with the scratch of O Besos), will look to close out his career on top. The 2018 GI Hopeful S. winner and 2019 GI H. Allen Jerkens S. winner was moved up to first via disqualification after falling a neck short in a roughly run renewal of the Parx Dirt Mile S. last out Sept. 24. The 6-year-old boasts a record of 7-4-2-1 at Aqueduct, including a trio of graded wins. A stud deal for Mind Control will likely be finalized in the days following the Cigar Mile, according to Rick Sacco, racing manager for co-owner Red Oak Stable.

“He's been a great horse for us and accomplished a lot before he even came to us, but he's been a real neat horse to be around,” said Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who seeks a record-extending sixth Cigar Mile victory. “He enjoys his job and has always liked Aqueduct.”

Juveniles, meanwhile, will take centerstage in the GII Remsen S. and GII Demoiselle S., both at the demanding distance of 1 1/8 miles.

Stonestreet homebred Julia Shining (Curlin), a full-sister to champion 3-year-old filly and GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Malathaat, will head straight into the deep end versus six rivals in the Demoiselle. The bay kicked off her career with an eye-catching come-from-behind victory for Pletcher going seven furlongs at Keeneland Oct. 16. She is the 3-5 morning-line favorite for the Demoiselle. Malathaat, also trained by Pletcher, won this same race in 2020.

“Physically, they're a little bit different, but they're both very impressive fillies to watch train and she's shown talent from the beginning,” Pletcher said. “I always felt like the further she gets the opportunity to go, the better she'll get. That's why we have been pointing for the Demoiselle.”

A field of seven will also line up for the Remsen, led by unbeaten Rocky Run S. winner Tuskegee Airmen (Street Sense) and New York-bred Arctic Arrogance (Frosted), a last out winner of the Sleepy Hollow S.

Aqueduct's Saturday program also includes the GIII Go For Wand S. for older fillies and mares.

Welcome to Hollywood

A very deep field of 11 have been entered for the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar. New York shippers 'Rising Star' Wit (Practical Joke) and Celestial City (Uncle Mo) are the top two on the morning-line. Slightly favored Wit just missed by a neck for Pletcher in Keeneland's GIII Bryan Station S. Oct. 29. Celestial City posted a come-from-behind win for Shug McGaughey in Aqueduct's GII Hill Prince S. Oct. 22.

The Hollywood Derby field also includes: GIII La Jolla S. winner and GII Twilight Derby winner Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile); Cinema S. winner War At Sea (War Front); and Let It Ride S. winner Handy Dandy (Fury Kapcori).

Del Mar's Saturday card also includes a wide-open renewal of the grassy GIII Jimmy Durante S. for 2-year-old fillies.

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Bred in Kentucky by the Lyster family's Ashview Stud in partnership with Richard Santulli's Colts Neck Stables–also the breeders of Belmont S. runner-up and leading 3-year-old filly Nest (Curlin)–Mo Donegal was purchased by Jerry Crawford's operation for $250,000 from the Ashview consignment at the 2020 Keeneland September sale and was turned over to trainer Todd Pletcher, for whom he won two of three starts as a juvenile, including a gritty defeat of future GI Toyota Blue Grass S. hero Zandon (Upstart) in a thrilling renewal of the GII Remsen S. last December.

A slow-starting, even third in the GIII Holy Bull S. on seasonal reappearance this past February, Mo Donegal bounced back with a battling tally in the GII Wood Memorial, accounting for next-out GI Preakness S. victor Early Voting (Gun Runner). It was announced by Donegal eight days prior to the running of the GI Kentucky Derby that Mike Repole had acquired a minority interest in the colt, who, sent off at just over 10-1 for the Run for the Roses, lagged well behind after breaking from the rail, was 10 wide into the lane and got home well to finish fifth, beaten just under four lengths. The 5-2 choice for the Belmont, Mo Donegal sat handier to the pace and finished up full of run to score by three lengths. In early July, Donegal reported that Mo Donegal was suffering from bone bruising and would miss 60 days. He retires to the breeding shed with a record of 4-0-2 from seven starts and earnings of $1,511,800.

“The Donegal Racing partners and I could not be more proud of Mo Donegal and the special places he took us the last two seasons,” said Crawford. “The timing of the bone bruising was unfortunate and not going to allow us to make any of our target races for the remainder of the year. We felt the best decision was to retire him, and we are excited that he'll get a wonderful opportunity to make a great stallion at a place like Spendthrift.”

Mo Donegal is one of three winners from three to the races for his dam, whose 2-year-old Pletcher-trained daughter Prank (Into Mischief), a $500,000 KEESEP purchase, was named a 'TDN Rising Star' with a powerful 9 3/4-length debut win at Saratoga July 31. Callingmissbrown is a daughter of 2004 GI Acorn S. heroine Island Sand (Tabasco Cat), herself the dam of dual Grade I-placed juvenile Maya Malibu (Malibu Moon), while the deeper female family includes Queen's Plate winner Niigon (Unbridled). Callingmissbrown is back in foal to Uncle Mo.

“It's always exciting when you can acquire a stallion prospect of the caliber of Mo Donegal, and we are thankful to Jerry Crawford, Mike Repole and the Donegal Racing partners for the opportunity,” said Ned Toffey, general manger of Spendthrift where the Repole part-owned GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso (Curlin) also stands. “It's not often you can offer breeders a Classic winner by an emerging sire of sires, which Uncle Mo appears to be. On top of that, Mo Donegal is very good-looking, comes from a brilliant and active family, was a 2-year-old graded stakes winner and defeated some of the best from a pretty good crop of 3-year-olds this year. We expect him to be extremely popular, and we invite breeders to come out and see him.”

Added Pletcher: “The Classic winners that come through our program will always be special to me, and Mo Donegal showed in his Belmont Stakes win what we have always thought of him,” said Pletcher. “We went into the (Kentucky) Derby this year with a lot of confidence, but the one hole was just too much to overcome. Obviously, having trained Uncle Mo, it was nice for us to be able to campaign one of his best sons. Mo Donegal showed immense talent from the first time we breezed him at two, and he's always been a very classy, good-minded, good-looking colt. I'd have to imagine breeders will love him.”

WATCH: Mo Donegal wins the GI Belmont S.

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A $185,000 purchase out of the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase, Smile Happy was the recipient of an inside-out ride from Brian Hernandez, Jr. going two turns at Keeneland Oct. 29 and powered away to graduate by 5 1/2 lengths. No better than the third favorite in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. a month later, the bay was once again consigned to a wide run around the bend, but he surged past recent GIII Sam F. Davis S. hero Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway) and finished with good energy to take it by 3 1/4 lengths. The form of the Jockey Club has also been further franked by the third-placed White Abarrio (Race Day), who won the GIII Holy Bull S. with a 97 Beyer; and Call Me Midnight (Midnight Lute), a wide seventh in the Jockey Club who upset this year's GIII Lecomte S.

“I think this is a good first step for Smile Happy,” said trainer Ken McPeek. “He's doing super. He's done everything right. He's a very low-maintenance horse who makes our job easy. We're trying to keep him and [GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner] Rattle N Roll (Connect) separated, with Rattle N Roll pointing for the [Mar. 5 GII Fasig-Tipton] Fountain of Youth[S.]”

Zandon brushed the inside of the stall, but overcame that bit of trouble to break his maiden by 1 1/2 lengths Oct. 9 at Belmont and was the 1.35-1 favorite for the GII Remsen S. Dec. 4. Three wide the trip, he was confronted by Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) in upper stretch and had every reason to call it a day, but battled bravely inside and missed by just a nose after arguably being impeded by the eventual winner. He covered 46 more feet (about five lengths) in the process. The $170,000 Keeneland September acquisition ships in from South Florida, where he fired a bullet half-mile in :48 2/5 (1/41) Feb. 12 at Payson Park.

“He's got to get over the shipping, but the horse couldn't be training any better,” trainer Chad Brown said. “He's a very exciting prospect and I don't see any reason why he won't get up to a mile and quarter.”

Epicenter (Not This Time) set reasonable fractions in the Lecomte, but could not resist the center-track rally of Call Me Midnight and dropped a head decision. He was three-parts of a length clear of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile runner-up Pappacap (Gun Runner), who was unable to take advantage of another ideal trip and settled for third.

Bodock (Street Boss) was a debut winner at Indiana Grand Nov. 10 and will try two turns off a 1 1/4-length defeat of $825,000 KEENOV purchase Strava (Into Mischief) in a sloppy six-furlong allowance Jan. 15.

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Away alertly under Joel Rosario, the 7-1 shot raced two wide near the back of the quintet as favored Ten for Ten (Frosted) clicked off early splits of :23.67 and :47.86. Inching up into third alongside GIII Nashua S. victor Pickin’ Time (Stay Thirsty) on the backstretch run, they bay overtook that rival approaching the bend and set his sights on the pacesetter. Pulling away from the rest of the field in the lane, the pair slugged it out in the slop with Brooklyn Strong forging clear of a determined Ten for Ten in the final strides to win by a neck.

“I was very confident going in,” said trainer Daniel Velazquez, who registered his first graded win in the Remsen. “I knew the distance was key and I was confident about the off track. I was happy with his performance. He really dug in. Today was a big showcase for him against tougher competition and I couldn’t be happier.”

“I broke well and it looked like they were running away from me a little bit, so I had to ride him to get position,” said Rosario. “I didn’t want to let him fall back, so I rode him to stay within a couple of lengths. I was happy with how he was progressing and I was confident he was going to have something left for the end.”

Purchased for just $5,000 at the delayed OBS April Sale after breezing in :10 2/5, Brooklyn Strong was dangled for a $40,000 tag in his career bow at Delaware Sept. 12, which he won by three lengths. Third next out in the state-bred Bertram F. Bongard S. at Belmont Oct. 2, the gelding scored a decisive victory in the one-mile Sleepy Hollow at Belmont last out.

Pedigree Notes:

Brooklyn Strong is the first graded winner and one of three black-type victors for second-crop sire Wicked Strong, who scored a career high at the Big A when winning the 2014 GI Wood Memorial S. His SP dam Riviera Chic produced a Keen Ice colt last year and a Practical Joke colt May 4 of this year.

Saturday, Aqueduct
REMSEN S.-GII, $145,500, Aqueduct, 12-5, 2yo, 1 1/8m, 1:50.60, sy.
1–BROOKLYN STRONG, 120, g, 2, by Wicked Strong
1st Dam: Riviera Chic (SP), by Medaglia d’Oro
2nd Dam: Hurricane Warning, by Thunder Gulch
3rd Dam: Dewan’s Flag, by Dewan
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($30,000 Wlg ’18 FTNMIX; $42,000
RNA Ylg ’19 SARAUG; $6,000 RNA Ylg ’19 OBSOCT; $5,000 2yo
’20 OBSAPR). O-Mark Schwartz; B-Cheryl Prudhomme & Dr.
Michael Gallivan (NY); T-Daniel Velazquez; J-Joel Rosario.
$82,500. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $195,000. Werk Nick
Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Ten for Ten, 118, c, 2, Frosted–Summer Vacation, by
Eskendereya. ($410,000 Ylg ’19 KEESEP). O-Courtlandt Farms
(Donald & Donna Adam); B-George Krikorian (KY); T-Claude R.
McGaughey III. $30,000.
3–Known Agenda, 118, c, 2, Curlin–Byrama (GB), by Byron (GB).
($135,000 RNA Ylg ’19 FTSAUG). O/B-St. Elias Stable (KY);
T-Todd A. Pletcher. $18,000.
Margins: NK, 8 3/4, 8 1/4. Odds: 7.10, 1.25, 1.95.
Also Ran: Pickin’ Time, Erawan.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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