1 of 5 | Jockey Luis Suez, aboard Dornoch, smiles in the winners circle after winning the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga Race Course on Saturday in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Photo by Mark Abraham/UPI | License Photo
June 8 (UPI) — Dornoch, 10th in the Kentucky Derby, rebounded with a 1/2-length triumph in Saturday’s $2 million Grade I Belmont Stakes, endingupbeing the 3rd winner in the 3 legs of this year’s U.S. Triple Crown.
Mindframe, making simply his 3rd profession start, completed 2nd and may have won had he run a real course down the stretch. Sierra Leone, 2nd in the Kentucky Derby, completed 3rd.
Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan was neverever in the photo and completed 8th in the Belmont and Preakness winner Seize the Grey faded to get home seventh after fighting Dornoch for the early lead.
The 156th running of the race, the 3rd leg of the Triple Crown, was staged at Saratoga in upstate New York since Belmont Park on Long Island is being rebuilt. Because of the setup of the Saratoga track, the race likewise was reduced from to 1 1/4 miles from 1 1/2 miles.
Jockey Luis Saez lost no time in putting Dornoch, a 17-1 long shot, into the race. The complete sibling to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage, fought for the lead with Seize the Grey before leaving that tiring competitor behind at the leading of the stretch.
Approaching the furlong marker, Mindframe emerged from the field to obstacle Dornoch however, after a left-handed smack of the whip by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. at the furlong marker, he drifted towards the stands side of the track.
Ortiz got the gently raced colt, making his stakes launching, corrected out at the 16th pole, however too late to catch the winner.
Dornoch, a Good Magic colt qualified by Danny Gargan, fini