Baffert ends meet on a high note with Hoppertunity, Dortmund

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bob Baffert wasn’t even here for closing weekend of the Churchill Downs fall meet, and yet he was most responsible for the racing memories that will linger through the long Kentucky winter.

Baffert not only won the annual fall highlight, the Grade 1 Clark Handicap, with Hoppertunity on Friday, but he also was represented by a 2-year-old whose victory on the Stars of Tomorrow card Saturday was so awe-inspiring that the colt drew the most backing among individual interests in the opening pool of the 2015 Kentucky Derby Future Wager.

Dortmund, a grand-looking chestnut by Big Brown, was a 7 3/4-length winner of a first-level optional claimer for Baffert, finishing a one-turn mile in a swift 1:35.75 to earn the highest Beyer Speed Figure (97) of the 12-race Saturday card. He was bet down to 9-1 in the future wager that closed Sunday.

Baffert, in California for the holiday weekend, said he hopes to run Dortmund back in the Dec. 20 Los Alamitos Futurity before giving him a little time prior to gearing up for a Kentucky Derby campaign. Owned by Kaleem Shah, Dortmund won a Nov. 2 maiden race at Santa Anita in his only prior start.

Baffert said he sent Dortmund here for two reasons – to get a dirt race (as opposed to Polytrack at Del Mar) into the colt in preparing for the Futurity, and also to get a race over the Churchill surface, looking to the future.

◗ Turfway Park in northern Kentucky starts its holiday meet Thursday evening with a nine-race card that drew a whopping 122 horses, including 15 also-eligibles. The first stakes comes Saturday with the $50,000 Holiday Inaugural.

Albin Jimenez, who rode three winners Thursday at Churchill, figures as leading rider throughout the four months of winter racing over Polytrack.

◗ Jockey Cory Orm has been suspended four racing days for failing to persist with Old Times Sake in the seventh race Friday at Churchill, likely costing his mount victory in the $7,500 claiming route.

Orm, 25, will ride this winter at Turfway. His days run Dec. 7-13.

◗ Mandatory end-of-meet payouts Sunday in jackpot wagers were $8,158 in the Super Hi 5 (10 winning $1 tickets sold) and $1,777 in the 20-cent pick six (4 of 6 was good enough).