Dornoch makes Puca 3 for 3 as stakes-producing broodmare

The stock of the relatively young broodmare Puca continues to skyrocket, as Dornoch, a full brother to her Kentucky Derby winner Mage, became a graded stakes winner with his game victory in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes on Saturday at Aqueduct.

The first three foals out of Puca, a stakes-winning daughter of Big Brown, are all stakes horses – a powerhouse start to the broodmare career of the mare who, at age 11, likely has many years of production ahead of her.

Her first foal was the Gun Runner filly Gunning, stakes-placed at Oaklawn and Ellis Park. Her second foal, Mage, finished second to champion Forte in the Grade 1 Florida Derby in just his third career start, then won the Kentucky Derby. The son of Good Magic went on to finish third in the Preakness Stakes and second in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational. Now along comes Dornoch, who was second in the Sapling Stakes at Monmouth while still a maiden. He came into the Remsen off a 6 1/2-length maiden score at Keeneland for which he earned a 90 Beyer Speed Figure; he earned a 91 on Saturday.

The next foal in the pipeline for Puca is a McKinzie colt who sold for $1.2 million to Mayberry Farm, as agent for C R K Stable, at the Keeneland September yearling sale.

Puca, who was purchased by Robert Clay’s Grandview Equine for $475,000 in 2018, did not have a foal in 2023 and was bred back to Good Magic for a full sibling to Mage and Dornoch. Striking while the iron is hot, Grandview offered her at last month’s Keeneland November breeding stock sale, with the consignment of Case Clay, Robert’s son. Although she failed to meet her reserve in the ring, with a high bid of $2.8 million, a private sale was later negotiated, and she ultimately sold to major new industry player John Stewart for $2.9 million.

“Thanks to Case Clay and Keeneland sales for making it possible to own a horse like Puca. Wow,” Stewart posted on social media after Dornoch’s victory, adding, “What a family.”

Stewart had been active throughout the fall purchasing weanlings, yearlings, and active runners to populate his new racing stable. He announced his intentions this fall to build a broodmare band with a breed-to-race objective – meaning Puca’s coming Good Magic foal could be retained by his stable. Stewart purchased five mares in foal for a total of $9.7 million across the major Fasig-Tipton and Kentucky November breeding stock sales.

For the time being, Stewart’s growing broodmare band has been boarded at Margaux Farm in Midway, Ky., but they will soon have a new home base. Stewart said he expects to close Dec. 18 on the former Shadayid Stud, an 839-acre satellite property of Shadwell Farm in Midway. The property will now be known as Resolute Farm, and Stewart has hired Noel Murphy, formerly with Middlebrook Farm, as a manager.

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