In a surprising turn of events, Dornoch won the Belmont Stakes on Saturday at the Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Despite facing tough competition, the odds were against the horse at 17-1.
This victory marks jockey Luis Saez’s second win at the Belmont Stakes and gives trainer Danny Gargan his first win.
Even though Dornoch had faced setbacks in the past, his team remained determined and didn’t give up on him.
In April’s country race, the pony everyone thought would win ended up in fourth place after losing to Sierra Leone, who was also a strong contender.
The following month at the Kentucky Derby, the pony had a tough start with the unlucky No. 1 position and finished way back in tenth place. “When I rode this pony here at Saratoga last year, I told Danny he could win the Derby,” Saez said. “But the Derby is a crazy race, though we had a good run today.”
Before Saturday’s race, Sierra Leone, who came second in this year’s Kentucky Derby, was expected to win, followed by Preakness winner Hold onto the Dim and Mind frame, according to Fan Duel Sports book odds.
A changed Stakes
This year, the last part of the Triple Crown looked a bit different.
Instead of being at its usual home at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, the Belmont Stakes was held at the Saratoga race track, which is about three hours north. The Elmont track is getting a big renovation, costing nearly half a billion dollars, and it won’t host the race again until 2026.
Also, the prize money was bigger. It went up from $1.5 million last year to $2 million. After dividing the money among the top finishers, the winner of the race will get around $1.2 million. The race changed into additionally shorter through 1 / 4 mile. Usually, the Belmont Stakes is the longest of the Triple Crown races, stretching out to 1 1/2 miles. But this year, it was the same distance as the Kentucky Derby, which is 1 1/4 miles, because of the condition of the track.