Onward to 2025

The time has come to post the usual year-end article but trying to capture the highlights has come with quite a struggle.

Normally the words would flow easily, honoring the stand-out performances of the obvious beasts that dominated our race tracks across our country. Was there a Flightline, a Cody's Wish, a Gun Runner, a Shared Belief?

Trying hard to forego jumping across the oceans and remaining planted on American soil, pushing away the names of City of Troy, Rebel's Romance, Forever Young, Do Duece, Lemon Pop, Kyprios, and Auguste Rodin.

Where can you land here that sums up even one horse that stole the year of 2024?

Could it be Thorpedo Anna? Probably.

What about Sierra Leone?

Fierceness?

National Treasure?

Maybe Cogburn?

Certainly not Mystik Dan or Seize the Grey.

No, it just can't be. Something is simply not sitting right with this. Where was our star of 2024? Is it because the last 365 days has been a complete disaster, not only with American Horse Racing but with America itself.

Did the doom and gloom spill over to just about every aspect of our lives?

I hate to think so, but the constant chatter around these parts has been "Can't wait til this year is over and that bell finally tolls for the beginning of 2025." I won't lie, personally, I've been counting the days for months. Please scrap the number 24 and replace it with a 25.

In everything, both with the sport and with general life itself, it all just seemed out of the ordinary and not particularly in a good way. Of course, we all had our moments of joy, just like those on the race track, but they were fleeting and inconsistent.

As with every year-end article, I try to end it on a more uplifting and personal note. That won't change because of my high optimism for the future - both in our lives and within the sport that we all love and cherish. The horses are the shining beacons that keep us coming back year after year, with the promise of better things to come.

So I return to those four-legged athletes who gave it their all throughout the past year. They trained, they worked. They entered gates and ran their races. They offered us thrills down that stretch and they wowed us with their beauty.

After all is said and done, yes, they certainly did.

So, I return to Equibase and the past performances of 2024, reliving the glory days of that one horse who stood out for me in America in 2024. The one who captured the essence of athleticism, perseverance and awe.

He may not be the same one that you would have chosen.

He may not have given us consistent performances. He may not have even finished out the entire year.

But in my view, he towered over his peers and had it not been for severe bone bruising and early retirement, we might have seen the true "Best of the Best" ending on a high note in the Breeder's Cup Classic.

The sad irony is that this particular horse goes largely forgotten in this ending month of the year. Going forward, he will spend his days at Spendthrift Farm, learning the finer charms of the mating business with hopes that his name reappears as a leading stallion.

Even though this monster was unable to participate in the Breeder's Cup Classic and even though he faltered in his final race, the Travers Stakes, due to that bone bruising, 2024 will remain (for me) as the year of...

DORNOCH

Way back when, on 10/19/2013 at Golden Gate, I witnessed one the most stunning Maiden victories I had ever seen. There was a certain magic about him, a certain aura of excellence in the way he ran. An outward determination to win that is hard to capture in words.

Since then, I have watched that particular race numerous times, trying hard to pinpoint exactly what it was that captured the dominating promise of this particular youngster.

His name was Shared Belief and the promise that he held after that first win as a 2 year old was fully realized. He was the best of his division - bar none.

Fast forward exactly 10 years later. Almost to the day.

On 10/14/2023 at Keeneland, after two 2nd place previous attempts, Dornoch finally captured a win and broke his Maiden. A gate to wire victory on an 8.5f wet track with stamina to burn.

It was a fantastic performance, but it was not in the same league as the best maiden win (for me) as Shared Belief's - that feeling would have to wait until December.

Then it happened. The day was 12/2/2023 and a group of two year olds assembled for the Remsen Stakes.

A 9f contest where Dornoch was up against the eventual winner of the 2024 Breeders Cup Classic Sierra Leone. Dornoch took the lead and rolled off 23.09 46.97 1:11.56 1:37.42 and 1:50.30 while Sierra Leone saved ground and energy.

Dornoch won the race by only a nose but it was the way in which he won it, that magic, that certain aura of excellence in his determination in the way he ran.

It was one of the most stunning 2 year old performances, second to Shared Belief, that I had ever seen.

And it was only a win by a nose. The way Dornoch fought as he travelled against that rail, after Sierra Leone passed him, just lengths from that wire, showed a promise and a will to win that took my breath away.

Here was a stamina dominant young colt, running on the lead with the speed to tick off a 46.97 half in a 9f contest. His sheer determination to outwit one who saved every ounce of energy was, in my mind, beyond the best 2 year old performance of 2023.

Watching that replay over and over again, not one 2 year old horse compared to that. He was inching into a "Shared Belief league" with that performance.

Even Epicenter's maiden and first Derby Prep victory (in the Gun Runner Stakes) as a 2 year old did not showcase such magic and readable promise. It was a very fine effort for his breeding but it wasn't quite so extraordinary.

Dornoch was in a class of his own as a two year old and not one compared in his future promise. For me, it was one of the greatest demonstrations of a horse who refused to take a loss ever again. The portrayal of such grit, fortitude, persistence, and tenacity so young is what Champions are eventually made of.

At the start of 2024, a three year old Dornoch won another back to back trophy in a Derby Prep, the Fountain of Youth. He went from one successful win on the Aqueduct track bias to another success on a completely opposite bias down at Gulfstream.

The horse could tackle any track he wanted even with his stamina-leaning breeding. He was fast and determined, regardless of surface - be it hard, soft, wet or dry. This is rare and also points to upper echelon quality.

For some reason, his next race in the Bluegrass was somewhat of a let down. Although, we always do expect win after win with these guys, sometimes they just don't fire. We can't expect a horse to go undefeated but we can question what appeared to be a lackluster performance. He basically stayed stagnant in the same 4th position and made no attempt to reveal that killer determination of his.

As handicappers, we tend to take such performances and turn them into bigger red flags than they should be, especially when the horse delivers 2 back to back attempts that appear to be failures.

Dornoch eventually went on to have a troubled trip in the Kentucky Derby right out of the gate. It was a loss that happens to so many high quality colts who even dare to enter that 20 horse gate. No matter how you slice it, the Kentucky Derby should never be a barometer for talent as it ends up being more about luck, or not being trampled or steadied at the start.

Just like in the 2014 Breeder's Cup Classic when Shared Belief was slammed by Bayern, you can not take the defeat at face value.

Just like in the 2022 Breeder's Cup Classic when Epicenter was running with an injury and eventually eased for it, you can not take the defeat at face value.

Dornoch was installed in the dreaded number one gate against the rail in the Kentucky Derby. He was shuffled way back and away from his preferred running style, steadied and checked hard. He tried to make a race of it, but with bad luck in his trip, he was done - but he wasn't over.

That race did not conquer his talent and only emphasized the harsh reality of a 20 horse field that is attempting to collect on a 5 million dollar purse.

Two races that appeared to be diminishing form. One was a mystery (at the time) and one was a troubled trip.

The public walked away.

Dornoch entered the Belmont Stakes at 18 to 1.

With his magical stride and perserverence, Dornoch came back as a longhot to demolish the Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan, the Preakness winner Seize the Grey and the 2nd place Derby finisher (and eventual Classic Winner) Sierra Leone at the 10f distance.

As in the Remsen, Mindframe passed him the stretch and that familiar "Dornoch Determination" came roaring back to overtake the wire. It was a stellar performance against Grade One winners and showcased what a beast this horse had been all along.

After that 10f win, Dornoch dropped down in distance with another trip into the Winner's Circle in the Haskell Stakes. This was the 5th win on 5 different race tracks.

And then, it was over.

Dornoch entered the Travers and pulled another Bluegrass-type performance. He did not move from 4th position. It was then found that he had bone bruising and was then retired. Had he suffered the same in the Bluegrass? Same exact performance with the same exact results. We will never know for sure.

Dornoch gave it his all and he beat the best that 2024 had to offer. Should retirement after injury be a reason for discounting such a talent from the conversation? I don't think so.

To me, Dornoch was the very best of 2024. Luck in the Derby gate is one thing, but a horse who may have been plagued with issues (like Shared Belief) does not diminish his career.

The 2024 Belmont Stakes Winner was one hell of a horse.

CHEERS TO DORNOCH!

Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!