A major victory in horse racing this weekend had Georgia ties.
The 156th running of the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course in New York was Saturday and its winner was Dornoch, a horse partly-owned by Atlanta-based West Paces Racing.
Dornoch was a 17-1 long shot. Luis Saez, who was aboard, controlled the pace against a strong 10-horse field for his second career Belmont Stakes victory. It was the first for Louisville trainer Danny Gargan and owner and former Major League Baseball All-Star Jayson Werth. Gargan said Dornoch is “the best horse I’ve ever trained,” according to Buckhead.com.
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Dornoch outpaced Mindframe, who was 5-1, and Sierra Leone, 8-5, who finished second and third, respectively. This is the sixth straight year a different horse won each of the Triple Crown races — the longest stretch since 1924-29. The first was the Kentucky Derby won by Mystik Dan and the second was the Preakness Stakes won by Seize The Grey.
West Paces Racing was founded in 2019 by a group of friends, most of whom had an affiliation with the Cherokee Town Club, which is located on West Paces Ferry Road. One of the co-founders, Keith Mason, a University of Georgia graduate, served as Gov. Zell Miller’s chief of staff and in the Clinton administration.
Dornoch is full brothers with 2023 Derby winner Mage. Their sire is Good Magic, who placed second in the 2018 Kentucky Derby, and dam is Puca, by 2008 Derby winner Big Brown. Dornoch was purchased for $325,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Former professional baseball player Jayson Werth is also a co-owner of Dornoch.