Dornoch Seeks to Join Exclusive Club at Travers Stakes
The mid-summer classic, the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes, will feature a talented contender aiming to etch his name in the record books. Dornoch, the son of champion sire Good Magic, will be looking to become only the second horse in history to sweep the prestigious Belmont Stakes, Haskell Invitational (G1), and Travers Stakes.
The feat is an extremely challenging one, with only the legendary Point Given having accomplished it back in 2001.
Dornoch has shown the potential to join this exclusive fraternity, having impressively won the Belmont Stakes and Haskell Invitational earlier this season. Trainer Danny Gargan’s charge faced adversity in the Kentucky Derby, where he was squeezed, shuffled back, and checked, leaving him with little chance from the rail draw. However, the colt bounced back with a gutsy performance in the Belmont Stakes, pressing the pace from the start and holding off late challenges to secure the victory.
Dornoch’s grit and determination were on full display in the Haskell Invitational, where he emphatically turned away his rival Mindframe to cement his status as the leader of the 3-year-old male division. The handsome bay colt has quickly established himself as a fan favorite with his relentless will to win.
The task ahead at the Travers Stakes, however, will be Dornoch’s toughest test yet. Typically run at three different distances and tracks in just under three months, the trio of Grade 1 races that make up the Belmont, Haskell, and Travers challenge the very best of the 3-year-old crop. Many of the nation’s top sophomores will be ready to take on the champion at the historic Saratoga Race Course.
If Dornoch can emerge victorious in the Travers Stakes, he will join the legendary Point Given as the only horses to sweep this prestigious three-race challenge. Such an accomplishment would undoubtedly cement Dornoch’s status as the leading contender for the 2024 Horse of the Year title.
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