Dortmund gets back on dirt in Santana Mile

ARCADIA, Calif. – Spring training is over for Dortmund, who will be favored to win the seventh stakes of his career in Saturday’s $75,000 Santana Mile at Santa Anita.

In his first start for trainer Art Sherman, Dortmund finished a poor sixth in the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile on turf March 11. It was his first start on turf – and probably his last. Sherman said he knew early in the race that Dortmund was struggling on the surface.

“If I could have worked on the grass, I wouldn’t have run him,” Sherman said. “I’d have seen the way he was traveling.”

Expectations are higher for the Santana Mile.

“He blew out unbelievably the other day,” Sherman said. “I’m looking for a good run. Now we’ve got to get serious.”

Victor Espinoza has the mount on Dortmund, who has won 8 of 15 starts and earned $1,982,825. Dortmund worked a half-mile in 46 seconds at Los Alamitos on March 25.

In the Santana Mile, Dortmund is part of a field of seven, including four stakes winners in the last year – Avanti Bello, Collected, Dalmore, and Magic Mark.

KEY CONTENDERS

Dortmund, by Big Brown
Last 3 Beyers: 80-100-110

◗ Dortmund was transferred from Bob Baffert to Art Sherman over the winter after Baffert and owner Kaleem Shah parted ways.

◗ Dortmund was fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile last November in his final start for Baffert. A 5-year-old, Dortmund was winless in four starts in 2016 but had an outstanding 2015 season that included a win in the Santa Anita Derby and a third behind Triple Crown hero American Pharoah in the Kentucky Derby.

◗ Sherman hopes the Santana Mile will lead to starts in major handicap races for Dortmund, with one exception.

“I’ll duck Arrogate, I know that,” he said of the leading older horse in the nation.

◗ Dortmund tends to race near the front, although runners such as Avanti Bello, Collected, and Magic Mark may show more speed in the Santana Mile.

Collected, by City Zip
Last 3 Beyers: 70-90-93

◗ Collected won three stakes in four starts in the first four months of 2016 before finishing 10th in the Preakness Stakes on a sloppy and sealed track last May. He has not raced since and has been in steady training for Baffert since late January.

“It will be a good start for him,” Baffert said. “For $75,000, you hope you don’t have to run against a horse like Dortmund, but it’s a good spot for that horse, too.”

Avanti Bello, by Include
Last 3 Beyers: 93-57-87

◗ Avanti Bello won the Tiznow Stakes for California-bred milers for the second consecutive year Feb. 26, racing near the lead throughout. Trained by Doug O’Neill, Avanti Bello drew the outside post, which should give jockey Flavien Prat the option of stalking the pace or putting Avanti Bello near the lead.