Dornoch fights back in Remsen, Life Talk romps in Demoiselle

Dec 03, 2023 By J. Keeler Johnson

Seven months after Mage took home top honors in the 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1), his full-brother Dornoch has joined the Road to the 2024 Kentucky Derby with a thrilling victory in the Remsen S. (G2) on Saturday at Aqueduct.

Coming off an impressive maiden victory at Keeneland, Dornoch dashed straight to the lead in the Remsen, setting fractions of :23.09, :46.97, and 1:11.56 over a muddy track. With three furlongs remaining in the 1 1/8-mile contest, deep-closing Sierra Leone launched a big rally from last place, and in midstretch he stuck his head in front of Dornoch. But the pacesetter battled back gamely under jockey Luis Saez to prevail by a nose in 1:50.30.

“It was pretty good fractions. I had everyone on top right there, but he was pretty comfortable. When he has pressure, he’s OK, but when he feels alone, he kind of look around. But he’s learning. He’s a pretty good horse,' said Saez. “He’s a pretty nice horse, but I feel like he’s still learning. When he kind of feels a little alone, he was a little lost. As soon as the other one [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.”

Sierra Leone pulled 4 3/4 lengths clear of third-place finisher Drum Roll Please, while Moonlight, Where’s Chris, Copper Tax, Domestic Product, Billal, Le Dom Bro, and Private Desire completed the order of finish. The top five finishers earned Road to the Kentucky Derby qualification points on a 10-5-3-2-1 basis. The winner’s share places Dornoch in seventh place on the qualification leaderboard.

Dornoch is a son of 2018 Kentucky Derby runner-up Good Magic out of Puca, a daughter of 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown. He’s owned by the partnership of West Paces Racing, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Two Eight Racing, and Pine Racing Stables.

Winning trainer Danny Gargan indicated Dornoch would head to Florida for the winter, with the Kentucky Derby looming as a long-term goal.

WHAT A FINISH! 🤩

#3 Dornoch fights back on the inside to grab 10 #KentuckyDerby points in the G2 Remsen S. at Aqueduct! 🌹

The FULL brother to Mage is trained by @garganracing and ridden by @luissaezpty.

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/ScGP08aqCr

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) December 2, 2023

'He's a big, big horse. We are going to give him some time off and take him down to Palm Meadows, kind of like [two-time Kentucky Derby-winning trainer] Nick Zito taught me when I was his assistant,” said Gargan. “We will tack walk him for a couple weeks, two to three weeks, play around with him, let him grow into that frame and start looking for races later, probably sometime in March. Two races, maybe three before the Derby. He's a very special horse.'

The Saturday card at Aqueduct also featured the Demoiselle S. (G2), a 1 1/8-mile Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualifier worth 10-5-3-2-1 points to the top five finishers. Life Talk, coming off a fourth-place finish against tougher competition in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), started as the even-money favorite and set fractions of :24.10, :48.65, and 1:13.10 on her way to victory by 3 3/4 lengths.

#3 Life Talk gets her first graded stakes victory in the G2 Demoiselle S. at Aqueduct for trainer Todd Pletcher with @iradortiz aboard! 🏆

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/t7YpAt7Vms

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) December 2, 2023

With jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. in the saddle, Life Talk reached the finish line in 1:51.10. Shimmering Allure, Dolomite, Most of All, and Caldwell Luvs rounded out the top five, followed by Vino Rouge, Ringy Dingy, and Cozee Rags.

“She's learning,” said Ortiz. “She's learning every time she runs. We saw a little more experience so I think it helps, because she broke so clear, I didn't have to use her too much, she was full of energy by the quarter pole.'

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher conditions Life Talk on behalf of Repole Stable. With a trio of top-four finishes on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks under her belt, Life Talk has accumulated 19 qualification points, ranking third on the leaderboard.