Baffert says Garcia will ride Dortmund in Dirt Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – They’re getting the band back together.

Shortly after Dortmund had his final work Sunday morning for the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Friday at Santa Anita, trainer Bob Baffert said that jockey Martin Garcia – who has been working Dortmund in recent weeks – would be reunited with Dortmund in the Dirt Mile.

That is one of three mounts Baffert is giving to Garcia in the Breeders’ Cup after a thawing in the icy relationship they had had since April. Garcia will also ride Drefong in the Sprint, and Enchanting Lady in the Filly and Mare Sprint.

The Baffert-Garcia rift began in April, shortly before the Kentucky Derby, when Garcia, upset over comments Baffert made to him following a race at Los Alamitos, did not accompany Baffert’s team to Kentucky for Derby Week at Churchill Downs. He instead decamped to his native Mexico for a brief vacation.

Baffert admitted he had overstepped his relations with Garcia and initiated the fence-mending months ago, but Garcia only recently accepted Baffert's overtures. He started working horses and getting some rides in the afternoon, but this is major step forward.

Garcia has been an integral part of Baffert’s operation for years. Baffert particularly likes how well Garcia works horses in the morning. Garcia was the regular work rider for Triple Crown winner American Pharoah throughout his career.

Garcia also made sense as the race rider for Dortmund. They have won 7 of 9 starts together, including the Santa Anita Derby and Los Alamitos Futurity, both Grade 1 races. Dortmund is 1 for 4 with other riders.

Dortmund looked sensational in his final work Sunday under Garcia, breezing five furlongs in company in 1:00.79 on the watch of Daily Racing Form’s Mike Welsch.

Dortmund was one of two Dirt Mile contenders to work here Sunday, the other being Gun Runner, who was impressive going a half-mile in 48.53 seconds on Welsch’s watch. Exercise rider Sergio Quevos was aboard.

Gun Runner “was smooth and worked fast,” said Scott Blasi, the top assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen. “He picked a good time to look fast.”

Gun Runner was pre-entered in both the Dirt Mile on Friday and the Classic on Saturday. Ron Winchell, a co-owner of Gun Runner, said Gun Runner was “90 percent” certain to go in the Dirt Mile barring, in his words, “mass defections at the top” from the Classic before entry time Monday.

Besides Dortmund and Gun Runner, others expected for the Dirt Mile are Accelerate, Point Piper, Runhappy, Tamarkuz, Texas Chrome, Tom’s Ready, and Vyjack.

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