Surge Capacity gives Chad Brown a sixth success at Del Mar

Surge Capacity, benefitting from a daring rail-skimming ride by Joel Rosario, captured Sunday's Matriarch at Del Mar. This sparked a one-two-three-four finish for trainer Chad Brown in the $300,000 fixture for fillies and mares.

The eastern-based conditioner, pulled off his biggest score yet in the closing-day headliner, registering a sixth success. Joel, who previously was a three-time riding champion at Del Mar, won the Matriarch for the fifth time, getting his Surge Capacity home by a head, over Fluffy Socks, Beaute Cachee, and, Whitebeam in the field of 12. He covered the one-mile test in 1:33.9/10 secs - fastest mile grass race of the meeting. Chad also bagged the Hollywood Derby at Del Mar, with Program Trading (Flavien Prat 4-1).

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After trainer Danny Gargan declared 2-year-old colt Dornoch the greatest horse he has ever trained, the talented son of Good Magic helped to confirm that assessment when battling back strongly to capture the Remsen by a nose at Aqueduct.

Owned by West Paces Racing, R.A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Two Eight Racing, and Pine Racing Stables, Dornoch led and appeared defeated a furlong from the finish when bumping the rail before Sierra Leone swept past him to take the advantage. But Dornoch showed true heart along the inside and refused to lose the 1 1/8-mile test for juveniles, digging in under Luis Saez to stick his nose back in front and cross the wire first in a final time of 1:50.3/10 secs.

“It's crazy. Usually when a horse hits the rail at the eighth pole like he did, they just stop running altogether,” said Danny. “I can't believe he re-rallied after that. He did see the other horse, but hitting the rail knocked him off stride and then it took him a few jumps to get back going."

For his Remsen victory, Dornoch earned the maximum allotment of the 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifying points available to the top-five finishers, respectively. With his name now on the list of top Derby prospects, Dornoch has his connections dreaming of the First Saturday in May.

“When you've got a horse like this, you can run second in a big prep and he's in. We just have to plan out the right arrangement to get him there.”

Gargan said one key to getting Dornoch into the Derby starting gate will be maturity.

“We need him to focus on running. He kind of looks around playing a little bit, and that's why he hit the rail. Got to grow up a lot, and he's still out there goofing off. He did dig in in this race in the end, but kind of put himself in that situation running green early. I think if another horse is around him, he won't lose focus. What we'll probably do next time is bring him off the pace which he can do. He'll finish in the lane, so he'll get a little more out of the race and mature a little bit from it.”

Dornoch will now likely get a freshening in preparation for his sophomore campaign with potential targets including the Withers at Aqueduct or the Fountain of Youth.