Connections Hope Patience Pays Off With Talkin

To Derby or not to Derby. It's an interesting predicament facing trainers who have horses "on the cusp" of the leaderboard earning points to be a Kentucky Derby (G1) contender. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas was famous for his, "You can't win it if you're not in it" philosophy. But along the Derby trail, a trainer must evaluate the condition of their horse, the possibility of winning, and what lessons the horse will learn from the race. Trainer Danny Gargan is a patient man. He studies the horses trusted to his care and is mindful of selecting their races. His perspective comes from a lifetime around horses. He grew up just outside the gates of Churchill Downs. His father, Danny Gargan Sr., was a talented jockey who won the 1973 Kentucky Oaks (G1) aboard C.V. Whitney's Bag of Tunes. Gargan worked as a jockey agent and served as an assistant trainer to Mark Hennig, Merrill Scherer, and Nick Zito before venturing out on his own in 2013. Since then, he has won graded stakes races with horses such as Tax ( 2019 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and Withers Stakes (G3)) and Divine Miss Grey (2018 Chilukki Stakes (G2)). In 2024, Gargan won the Belmont Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course with Dornoch (Good Magic-Puca, by Big Brown). He proudly notes a family connection to that race; his father rode Pvt. Smiles in the 1973 Belmont Stakes, won by Triple Crown winner Secretariat. Preakness Stakes contender Talkin was bred by Fifth Avenue Bloodstock and consigned by Indian Creek, a premier Bourbon County, Ky. operation known for selling high-quality yearlings and mares. He sold for $600,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Like Dornoch, Talkin is by Good Magic, the 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner who finished second to Justify in the 2018 Kentucky Derby. He was produced by Rote, a daughter of Tiznow who won once and finished in the top three five times in her 11-race career. Talkin is a half-brother (same dam (mother), different sire (father) to grade 2-placed Royal Obsession, the dam of grade 1 winner Clicquot. Talkin was purchased by bloodstock agents Megan Jones and Scott Everett, who frequently work with Gargan and specialize in identifying racing prospects. The current ownership group now consists of majority owner Mark Pine's Pine Racing Stable, Reeves Thoroughbred Racing (Dean and Patti Reeves), Legendary Thoroughbreds (Raj Lally), Belmar Racing and Breeding (Vito Cucci), and R. A. Hill Stable (Randy Hill). Pine was at the sale, and he explained what stood out. "What we really liked about him was that he certainly had a powerful walk. His conformation is just perfect. His legs are really straight. He'd be a sound horse. The second thing is pedigree. Obviously, we liked Good Magic because of Dornoch. He looks like a smaller version of Dornoch." One detail Pine mentioned is Talkin's eye. Instead of a dark sclera, Talkin has a white eye on one side just like Dornoch. Pine said, "He's throwing some of his characteristics to this horse. That was an appealing thing to this breeding." Gargan shared how Talkin got his name. "We were all hanging out, and Mark Pine is a bit of a talker. He owned part of Dornoch, and he loves to talk about him a whole lot. So, we decided to name the horse Talkin after Mark." Talkin was sent to Nellie and Chetley Breeden of Grade One Investments at Two Springs Farm in Micanopy, Fla., for his early training. Gargan says Talkin was Nellie's favorite horse on the farm. With Talkin emerging as a legitimate talent, the ownership group carefully considered the Kentucky Derby. His resume of five races includes a debut win at Saratoga, a runner-up finish in the Champagne Stakes (G1) at age 2, and a third-place finish in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) April 4 at Keeneland. After his Saratoga win, jockey Kendrick Carmouche said, "This horse is going to keep improving and I think the distance is going to help him." Gargan has started three runners in the Kentucky Derby (Tax in 2019, Dornoch and Society Man in 2024) but doesn't suffer from "Derby Fever." "It's not that we don't want to win the Derby. It's just the Derby is kind of a tough situation with that many horses, and with where our horse was, we didn't think it would be the right thing to do to the horse," Gargan explained. "We've targeted the Preakness all year and this! We've made it there. We think we're coming in there with the horse going in the right direction at the right time." The plan was to wait for the Preakness and ask Talkin to tackle 1 3/16 miles. Dean Reeves agreed. "It was really a group decision. Everybody in this partnership has been around the block, so we weren't emotionally fixed on the Derby. Our realistic goal was that he would improve with a little more time, and that the Preakness would be a better fit for him." Pine echoed that sentiment. "Everyone of us has had enough success that we were able to not have any contention on that issue. The goal is to get another horse that can become a grade 1 winner. And if you win a classic, that would be fantastic." Reeves also described Talkin's gradual development. "Talkin is a horse that we've had to bring along slowly. He's slowly grown into himself. He's a real laid-back dude and nothing bothers him, which has been good. He has talent—we recognize that—but we needed to let him mature. By doing that, we've seen improvement. There's always been a step forward. He's good-looking, physically balanced, and moves well on the track." Pine said Talkin's "got a bit of an attitude" but is also easygoing. "He behaves really well. He's chill—nothing upsets him. He generally breaks better than any horse in the field. He just sits and waits and when it's time to go, he goes. He's a very manageable horse, so he doesn't burn up extra energy. His name could be Chill. He's just chill." Bypassing the Kentucky Derby is never an easy call, but this experienced group of owners listened to Gargan's assessment and agreed to think long term—toward summer targets and potentially a future as a stallion. Physically, Talkin has been described as a modestly built horse who is still adding weight and muscle as he fills out. If patience pays off, he could arrive at the middle jewel of the Triple Crown at exactly the right time. Talkin is feeling his oats. Gargan admitted, "He bit the tip of my groom's finger off. He can be really sweet and then he bites. But he's doing everything right. I'm really pleased with how he's coming into the race." After his recent workout at Keeneland, Gargan believes they are ready. "He's worked really well, went in (:47 4/5), galloped out nice. He's acting good, eating good, looks good. We have him as good as we can get him right now. We just have to get lucky and hope he's good enough to win the race now. I do love how my horse is doing." The decision has been made, patience has been practiced, and now it's time to let Talkin speak for himself in the Preakness.