Dornoch wins the 2024 Belmont Stakes

Dornoch gained the 156th working of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, beating a handful of contenders broadly believed to have a higher likelihood of successful.

“It was good,” jockey Luis Saez stated of Dornoch’s run to fend off Mindframe, who completed second. Sierra Leone completed third.

Coach Danny Gargan received his first victory in a Triple Crown race with the 3-year-old colt, the brother of 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage.

Dornoch discovered his stride early, dispatching one of many favored entries, Preakness winner Seize the Gray, who appeared to stall in his mud.

“We managed the tempo,” Saez stated after the race.

Bought as a yearling in 2022, Dornoch appeared to mature on race day, holding off Mindframe and favourite Sierra Leone within the remaining dash.

“Immediately we received fairly good confidence that we may win this race,” Saez stated.

Gargan stated of Dornoch, “We let him run his race, and he gained.”

Co-owner Randy Hill stated no one believed in Dornoch, however that allowed Saez to place his head into the race and do his greatest.

“I informed Luis, you run your race — no one will beat you and nobody’s going to run you down,” Hill stated after the race.

Jayson Werth, a retired MLB All-Star and co-owner, celebrated the win.

“That is nearly as good because it will get in horse racing, it’s nearly as good because it will get in sports activities,” he stated.

With two completely different winners for the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, there is no such thing as a Triple Crown champion this 12 months. Solely 13 horses in horse racing historical past have claimed all three races, most not too long ago Justify in 2018.

There was nonetheless loads of intrigue heading into the race.

Sierra Leone, skilled by Chad Brown and jockeyed by Flavien Prat, entered the race because the 9-5 favourite. The three-year-old beforehand gained the Blue Grass Stakes and Risen Star Stakes, and completed second within the Kentucky Derby.

Nevertheless it was Dornoch, with 17-1 odds, that got here out forward.

This third leg of the Triple Crown is generally held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, however due to renovations it came about at Saratoga Race Course for the primary time.

Belmont Park is present process a $455 million renovation to enhance observe surfaces, construct a smaller grandstand, and enhance open area for followers.

Saturday’s venue in Saratoga Springs is completely different in additional than simply title. Belmont Park is run on the marathon 1 ½-mile distance across the largest racing oval in America. Saratoga Race Course, by comparability, is a shorter distance at 1 ¼ miles, the identical because the Kentucky Derby.