Involvement with Thoroughbreds requires similar qualities from human owner-breeders and equine competitors: guts, grit, and resoluteness. Determined Stud and Determined Stables’ Matthew Dorman has those qualities in spades. Dorman bred Seismic Beauty, winner of the May 25 Santa Margarita Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park; he is also a partner in SF Racing, which co-owns Wood Memorial S. (G2) winner Rodriguez and 2024 Eclipse Award 2-year-old champion male Citizen Bull.
Asked why “Determined” is featured in his stud and stable names, he said, “I think it’s an adjective that a lot of people would always use when they were describing me or my business ventures or personal ventures, et cetera. My father—who has passed—but my father kind of raised me if I could do anything I wanted, if I focused. And so, at a very young age, I was very focused and determined. I was in politics for a while. I ran presidential campaigns and then shifted over to business and was very focused on my business and grew a software company from two people in a townhouse basement to over just about a quarter-billion-dollar valuation and sold it.”
Born and raised in Beltville, Maryland, Dorman grew up visiting Bowie Racetrack with his father, optometrist and Maryland State Senator Dr. Arthur Dorman. He resolved to build his own breeding and racing program one day; before selling his business, he had a moderately-sized stable. “And then in 2020 when I cashed out part of my ownership, that’s when I bought the first round of quote-unquote big horses, including Knarsdale, was that 2021 sales season,” he said.
Determined Kingdom, raced by Determined Stables and Kingdom Bloodstock, earned honors as 2024 Virginia-Bred Horse of the Year. “Determined Kingdom came the first year,” Dorman said. “We bought, I think, eight or nine fillies and we bought one colt. And the whole business plan was, let’s improve the pages, breed these horses, and move on. Well, the only horse to improve their page was Determined Kingdom, and he was gelded. So that didn’t work out as planned. But he was a phenomenal horse. Phil Schoenthal did a very good job keeping him healthy, putting him in the right races, and we just had a great time with him.” Determined Kingdom sold to the late R. Larry Johnson at the 2024 Keeneland November sale.
At the 2020 Keeneland November Sale, Determined Stud bought Knarsdale (by Medaglia d’Oro), in foal to Uncle Mo, for $430,000. The filly she was carrying became Maryland-bred Seismic Beauty, who sold for $550,000 to Peter Leidel and MyRacehorse. Knarsdale’s Bernardini colt, Cincazul, sold for $500,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Keeneland October sale. For Grier Brunson and Zane Kiehne, Cincazul has won two of three career starts. Knarsdale’s Essential Quality filly, named My Steel Magnolia, hammered for $225,000 at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton July sale. A full sister to Seismic Beauty will sell this September; Knarsdale has been bred back to Charlatan.
Due to family commitments, Dorman was unable to travel to the Santa Margarita, but he watched remotely. “But Bob Baffert’s been a great trainer for her. He’s been very straightforward with me as far as how she’s doing, she needs more time, she needs more distance, and he really had hopes for that race. It was exciting to watch. There were a lot of us watching, and I now understand the phrase ‘my phone blew up,’ but it's just great to see her stretch out and do well. As you know, it’s the long game, but it’s proven that the long game can work, and hopefully she’s got a good summer ahead of her.”
Determined Stud is located in the center of Horse Country. “We don’t board; well, we have our own farm, so we've got 250 acres on Mt. Horeb [Pike] up there. We’ve got horrible neighbors,” he joked. “We’ve got Lane’s End on one side, Coolmore on the other. But we are very fortunate. Ed Hudon built Sierra Farm. I always give him credit; he passed away, but he did a great job building a small farm—small compared to some of these other guys.” Dorman also has four horses with Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms’ John Sikura, and he has 30 mares on his own farm.
