Dornoch (6) with jockey Luis Saez crosses the finish line ahead of Mindframe (10) to win the 156th annual Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Springs NY on Sat Jun 8, 2024 (AP News photo)
By Jessica Kwong
A World Series champion’s colt, Dornoch, pulled off an upset victory in the 156th Belmont Stakes at the Saratoga Race Course on Saturday evening.
Co-owned by former MLB All-Star Jayson Werth, Dornoch entered the final leg of the Triple Crown with 17-1 odds.
Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey took an early lead over Dornoch and Mindframe, one of the favorites in the race, heading to the backstretch.
Dornoch broke at a good pace from the gate and was head-to-head with Seize the Grey at the end of the backstretch.
But Seize the Grey could not sustain the pace and Dornoch took the lead, with Mindframe and fellow favorite Sierra Leone making charges that fell short.
Dornoch crossed the finish line by a half length ahead of his competitors.
“I never lost faith in him,” said Dornoch’s jockey Luis Saez, who notched his second Belmont Stakes victory after winning with Essential Quality three years ago.
“When I rode this horse last year here in Saratoga for the first time, I told Danny, ‘You have a Derby winner.’ But unfortunately, you know, the Derby is a crazy race and we drew that No. 1 hole. Today we had pretty good confidence that we could win this race. Thank God we got it.”
It was trainer Danny Gargan’s first Belmont Stakes win, as it was for Werth, who is co-owner of West Paces Racing.
Gargan called Dornoch “one of the top three horses in the country”.
“We’ve always thought it,” he said. “Today we let him run his race and he won. If he gets to run, he’s always gonna be tough to beat.”
With the victory, Werth takes home $2 million.
“I would put it right up there with winning on the biggest stage. Horse racing is the most underrated sport in the world, bar none,” said Werth, who won the World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008.
“It’s the biggest game: You get the Derby, the Preakness, the Belmont. We just won the Belmont. This is as good as it gets in horse racing. It’s as good as it gets in sports.”
Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan posed no threat in the race.
Three different horses won the three races of the Triple Crown this year.
Here is the finishing order for the 156th Belmont Stakes:
1. Dornoch
2. Mindframe
3. Sierra Leone
4. Honor Marie
5. Antiquarian
6. Protective
7. Seize the Grey
8. Mystik Dan
9. The Wine Steward
10. Resilience
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