Welcome to 2024 Kentucky Derby Prospect Profiles, where we’ll take a look each week at a recent winner on the Triple Crown trail, usually from the Road to the Kentucky Derby prep series that offers qualifying points for the first leg of the Triple Crown. The 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve will be held May 4, 2024, at Churchill Downs.

This week, we’ll take a closer look at Dornoch, winner of the $250,000 Remsen Stakes on Dec. 2 at Aqueduct. Dornoch earned 10 points toward qualifying for the 2024 Kentucky Derby with that win and moved into seventh place on the latest Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

Racing Résumé: Dornoch, named after a Scottish seaside resort, recorded his second straight win with a gutsy comeback in the Remsen Stakes. He set a solid and pressured pace in the 1 1/8-mile Grade 2 race, ducked in and brushed the rail while leading in the stretch, lost momentum and was passed (by almost a full length) by deep closer Sierra Leone, then fought back resiliently from the inside to win by a nose.

The Remsen followed a front-running 6 ½-length romp in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race Oct. 14 at Keeneland, where he also needed to be corrected by jockey Luis Saez in a green stretch run.

Prior to the Keeneland win, Dornoch ran second in each of his first two races. He rallied from fourth in his career debut in July sprint on a sloppy track at Saratoga. Dornoch’s second start was a runner-up finish by a length in the one-mile Sapling Stakes at Monmouth Park, where he led in deep stretch, seemed to idle a bit until passed by winner Noted, and fought back on the inside to stay within a length.

Dornoch’s tendency to lose focus nearly cost him again in the Remsen, but his natural ability and determination helped him prevail.

“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,” winning jockey Luis Saez said of the Remsen. “It’s pretty difficult to come back, but he has a big stride, and two jumps – he was right there. I was pretty surprised. Every day, you learn something new from horses, and this is a pretty special horse.”

Indeed, after he set the pace through an opening quarter-mile in :23.09 and a half-mile in :46.97, both strong for a 1 1/8-mile 2-year-old race, Dornoch’s resolve after being passed in the stretch indicates he could be a special colt.

Speed Figures: Given some of the antics we’ve seen from Dornoch, it feels very likely that speed figures can’t paint a crystal clear picture. However, they show improvement thus far in four races. Dornoch has improved his Beyer Speed Figure in each race, 70-77-90-91. The 91 Beyer for the Remsen validates Dornoch as a legitimate talent. Likewise, Equibase showed Dornoch making a steady rise through his first three starts from a 69 Equibase Speed Figure for his debut to an 86 in the Sapling, and then a 101 for the Keeneland maiden win. His Equibase Speed Figure for the Remsen was a small step backward to a 97.

Running Style: Luis Saez has hustled Dornoch to the front in each of his last two races and he’s used his speed to his benefit. He’s shown the ability to run fast early and still finish reasonably well late, with a final eighth of a mile in :12.88 in the Remsen.

Dornoch also has shown some versatility in his races – although some of that is situational because he found some trouble early in his first two starts. He looked entirely comfortable tracking from just off the pace on the backstretch in the Sapling after he was a bit keen early and pushed his way forward into stalking position.

Connections: West Paces Racing, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, and Two Eight Racing purchased Dornoch for $325,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale. Pine Racing Stables acquired an interest in Dornoch after his debut second-place finish.

Heading to the winner’s circle. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Danny Gargan won the Remsen in 2022 with Dubyuhnell, who was co-owned by West Paces Racing. Gargan’s 2018 Remsen third-place finisher Tax went on to win multiple graded stakes and finished fourth in the 2019 Belmont Stakes for a partnership that included Raymond Hill III’s R. A. Hill Stable. Gargan is a former assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito.

Regular rider Luis Saez has finished in the top 10 by both wins and purse earnings among North American jockeys for the last six years and will extend that to seven years in 2023. He won the Belmont Stakes in 2021 on Essential Quality and finished first in the 2019 Kentucky Derby aboard Maximum Security, but a victory in the run for the roses slipped away when he was disqualified for interference in the stretch. Saez has won more than 3,300 races since taking out his jockey’s license in 2009.

Pedigree Notes: Dornoch is a full-sibling (same sire [father], same dam [mother]) to 2023 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve winner Mage. He’s from the second crop of 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and champion 2-year-old male Good Magic, runner-up in the 2018 Kentucky Derby. Dornoch’s dam, Puca, by 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Big Brown, was a Grade 2-placed stakes winner who has produced two stakes winners and one stakes-placed runner from three foals to race, with a Kentucky Derby winner to her credit.

Derby Potential: Dornoch boasts an ideal Kentucky Derby pedigree and has shown elite ability in four starts this year. There is also a clear path to improvement because he’s shown a ton of immaturity in his four races. If his mind catches up to his big, athletic body … well, look out.

Add in the fact that he’s got terrific tactical speed and has shown the ability to run fast early and carry his speed late, and you have the recipe for a top prospect for the Triple Crown trail in 2024.