Danny Gargan is living the dream as he prepares not one, but two horses for the May 4 Kentucky Derby (G1): 2023 Remsen Stakes (G2) and Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) winner Dornoch and Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) runner-up Society Man.
A Louisville, Ky., native who grew up just outside the track's stable gate, Gargan is back in the Derby for the first time since saddling Tax to a 14th-place finish in 2019.
"No matter what anyone says, just running a horse in the Derby when you grow up in Louisville—it's a dream to be here and it's a dream just to accomplish the fact that you have a Derby runner," Gargan said. "We're a smaller barn and just to have some miracle to have two is crazy."
Gargan's pair hit the Churchill Downs dirt April 20 to record their first works over the track at 7:30 a.m. ET. With Society Man on the inside and Dornoch, wearing blinkers, on the outside, the duo breezed a half-mile together in :48 1/5.
"I'm real pleased with how they're getting over the track," Gargan said. "I thought both of them worked really well. They did it pretty handily, looked good doing it, galloped out great. They look great coming back (to the barn), I am pleased with how they're acting."
#KyDerby favorite DORNOCH (outside) and his stablemate SOCIETY MAN (inside) breeze 4 furlongs in 48.20 in preparation for the 150th Kentucky Derby pic.twitter.com/yUV2VAXjco
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) April 20, 2024
They were among 10 Kentucky Derby prospects who breezed Saturday at tracks and training centers, with another key drill coming at Keeneland from Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner Sierra Leone.
ROLLINS: Sierra Leone 'Super' in Penultimate Derby Work
Dornoch was last seen April 6 in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. After taking the Fountain of Youth wire to wire, Gargan experimented and asked him to sit behind horses.
"We tried something different, we wanted to educate him," Gargan said. "We put him in behind horses and he learned a lot and he'll mature off that race."
Sitting behind horses on the rail through the early stages, Dornoch swung to the outside for the stretch but was unable to catch the pacesetters or hold off the charge of winner Sierra Leone. He finished fourth, beaten 6 1/2 lengths.
"He got stuck in there, didn't like it too much," Gargan said. "Finally when he got out on the outside, he could have quit running but he dug in and came back on. It'll be fun to watch him run this time. We'll come out of there running and see where he'll land."
Gargan has not lost any faith in Dornoch. A full brother to the 2023 Kentucky Derby winner, Mage , expectations have been high for the colt before he even ran his first race last summer.
"He's been a highly thought-of horse ever since he came into the barn," Gargan said. "If he puts it all together on Derby Day and runs his race, it's going to be exciting. He's got a lot of talent. I think we're going to have a big performance this time."
Those who like to make their Derby bets based on good omens or mystical aspects of the Derby's history will likely be placing their money on Dornoch. Not only does he have already have a proven Derby-winning pedigree, but he is residing in the barn that Mage called home prior to the Derby and lives in the stall on the exact opposite side of the wall from Mage's.
While Dornoch was getting his education at Keeneland, Society Man was at Aqueduct Racetrack, surprising the betting public in the Wood Memorial by running second at odds of 106-1. His runner-up performance qualified him for the Derby and Gargan has faith that the race was not a fluke.
"I like how he breezes, how he trains," Gargan said. "He's a tryer, and he's got a lot of talent."
Like Dornoch, Society Man is a son of Hill 'n' Dale stallion Good Magic . Gargan is not worried about either of his colts having the stamina for the Derby's 1 1/4 miles.
"Both of them can get the distance. They have different running styles. It's going to be fun to watch them get out there and hopefully we get lucky," Gargan said. "Sometimes you get lucky and you get the trip or the right situation. We're just blessed that hopefully we have two of them that can get the right trip."
As the Derby is now just two weeks away, Gargan is doing his best to keep his expectations in check while still enjoying the ride his colts are taking him on.
"You have to pinch yourself every morning and just not overthink it or overanalyze it," Gargan said. "Keep going forward and try to have your best chance."
Catching Freedom, Just a Touch Breeze for Cox
The workout action Saturday at Churchill Downs began at 5:15 a.m. when trainer Brad Cox breezed his first two of 18 workers, Catching Freedom and stablemate Castlewarden. Catching Freedom was clocked in 1:00 4/5, galloping out six furlongs in 1:13 1/5 and completing his move through seven furlongs in 1:26 1/5, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.
At 7:30 a.m., a second Derby contender for Cox, Blue Grass runner-up Just a Touch, returned to the work tab with a half-mile move in :48 1/5 under jockey Florent Geroux. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:01 1/5.
"He's doing great and feeling great," Geroux said. "He's a very nice colt with a very bright future."
Just Steel Goes a Mile
One of the more unique works of the morning at Churchill Downs was from the D. Wayne Lukas-trained Just Steel, who encountered several planned and unplanned workmates en route to covering a mile in 1:40.
JUST STEEL preps for the #KyDerby going 1 mile in 1:40.00 for trainer, D. Wayne Lukas. 🏇 pic.twitter.com/stYdYDHw5F
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) April 20, 2024
A full listing of Saturday workouts from Derby horses appears below.
| Horse | Track | Distance | Time | Next Race |
| Catching Freedom | Churchill Downs | 5F (Dirt-Fast) | 1:00 4/5 | Kentucky Derby |
| Domestic Product | Payson Park | 4F (Dirt-Fast) | :48 2/5 | Kentucky Derby |
| Dornoch | Churchill Downs | 4F (Dirt-Fast) | :48 1/5 | Kentucky Derby |
| Endlessly | Churchill Downs | 5F (Dirt-Fast) | 1:00 4/5 | Kentucky Derby or American Turf |
| Just a Touch | Churchill Downs | 4F (Dirt-Fast) | :48 1/5 | Kentucky Derby |
| Just Steel | Churchill Downs | 1M (Dirt-Fast) | 1:40 | Kentucky Derby |
| Mystik Dan | Churchill Downs | 5F (Dirt-Fast) | :59 2/5 | Kentucky Derby |
| Sierra Leone | Keeneland | 4F (Dirt-Fast) | :48 4/5 | Kentucky Derby |
| Society Man | Churchill Downs | 4F (Dirt-Fast) | :48 1/5 | Kentucky Derby |
| Stronghold | Santa Anita Park | 4F (Dirt-Fast) | :46 3/5 | Kentucky Derby |
