Pletcher continues Sapling Stakes dominance as Noted catches Dornoch
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Noted ran down Dornoch to give trainer Todd Pletcher his third straight win in the $200,000 Sapling Stakes at Monmouth Park on Saturday.
Noted overcame post 9 to win his dirt and stakes debut in the two-turn, one-mile Sapling, his success following Pletcher’s wins in 2021 with Double Thunder and in 2022 with Lost Ark.
Jairo Rendon rode the winner, who paid a generous $14.20 while beating Dornoch by one length. Noted was timed in 1:38.91 over a fast track as the top two were much, much the best. Frankie’s Empire finished third, nine lengths behind Dornoch.
You could argue that Dornoch, now a two-race maiden, ran every bit as well as Noted. Dornoch broke from post 8 and was forced six or seven paths wide into the first turn when Tuscan Ruler cornered poorly and pushed Dewy’s Beast out into Dornoch. Dornoch responded by taking off, quickly passing several rivals to get into third by the six-furlong marker.
The half-mile split went in a solid 47.29, Dornoch bidding for the lead as the field bent into the second turn, Noted moving up from seventh. A three-wide Dornoch had taken the lead before the quarter pole but Noted was closing four paths off the fence, reached Dornoch at the sixteenth pole, and went on to a solid score.
Noted, who campaigns for the Repole Stable, is by Cairo Prince out of Sea View Millie, by Proud Citizen. He finished a closing second sprinting on turf in his career debut before clearing the maiden ranks July 22 in a Saratoga turf route. Noted had posted some encouraging-looking dirt workouts in advance of the Sapling, and he ran to that price for the barn that now has a three-year winning streak in this 2-year-old route race.
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