Saratoga Maidens, Presented by Keeneland: Gargan and Partners Talking All About Talkin

[Wandering Eyes]

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — When a barn is lucky enough to have a horse like Dornoch (Good Magic), the goal, naturally, is to find another one.

A year ago, trainer Danny Gargan won the GI Belmont Stakes and GI Haskell Stakes with the talented 3-year-old.

After Saturday's sixth race at Saratoga, a $100,000 maiden special weight for 2-year-old colts, Gargan was not about to proclaim he has found the second coming of Dornoch, but, hey, a guy and his partners can dream, can't they?

At the end of the seven-furlong race, it was Gargan's Talkin who had the trainer and part of the ownership doing a lot of talking. Talkin, dismissed at odds of 9-1 in the field of eight, gobbled up ground better than any of them in the stretch and won by a neck over the 6-5 favorite Stradale (Yaupon).

“He has a lot of heart,” Gargan said in the winner's circle. “I told Dean (co-owner Reeves) five or six weeks ago that this horse could really run. You don't know if they are first time out type winners, but he has determination. Whatever is in front of him, he wants to get to it.”

Talkin went and got it.

Stradale, a $1.3 million purchase for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, had opened up a three-length lead in the stretch but Talkin and jockey Kendrick Carmouche were just getting started. Just when it looked like Stradale was going to hold on, Talkin found another gear and just got by.

“That is a good horse he ran down,” Gargan said. “At the eighth pole, he figured it out.”

Talkin covered the distance in 1:23.63 and paid $20.60, $8.30 and $5.10.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing owns the horse along with Mark Pine's Pine Racing Stables, Legendary Thoroughbreds and Belmar Racing and Breeding LLC. Talkin was a $600,000 purchase at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The whole ownership group was involved with the buy.

“He passed the pedigree test,” Gargan said. “He is a very athletic, well-bred horse. We have a group of guys who believe in what we are doing. They're allowing us to be in this situation. Without the owners supporting us, we can't do this. We are looking for the next Dornoch. (Talkin) is built more like Dornoch than any that we bought. He has the same shoulder, hip; maybe a little shorter but he is a lot like him. The way he ran today, he fought like him.”

And then there is the name. The group had some serious skull sessions to find the perfect moniker for a horse they think will do a lot of good.

Reeves volunteered that he would take his 5-year-old grandson Arthur out and sing-song to him that they were “walkin' and talkin.'” Cute. Gargan said the group was kicking around names and Pine was doing a lot of the talking.

“I said, let's name him Talkin,” Gargan said. “Everyone loved it. It's a cool name.”

“Danny likes the one-word names,” Pine said.

“Sounds faster,” Gargan said.

“We have all been partners in other horses,” Reeves said. “This one has been fun. A good group of people.”

Next up for Talkin could be the GI, $600,000 Breeders' Futurity on Oct. 4 at Keeneland. If the colt shows up there, the group will likely be doing a lot more talking in Lexington.

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