Dortmund gets tune-up for Clark Handicap in Big Bear
ARCADIA, Calif. – Dortmund, the winner of the Santa Anita Derby in April, will start in the smallest stakes of his career in Saturday’s $70,000 Big Bear Stakes at Santa Anita, a race expected to lead the colt back to top-class competition next month.
Dortmund will be favored to win the Big Bear at a mile, the eighth race on a nine-race program. The Big Bear will be Dortmund’s first start since a fourth-place finish behind star stablemate American Pharoah in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 16. Dortmund also was third behind American Pharoah in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 2.
A return trip to Churchill Downs is possible for Dortmund if he runs well Saturday. Trainer Bob Baffert has the $500,000 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 27 as a goal for Dortmund, who races for Kaleem Shah.
“I think this will get him ready for the Clark,” Baffert said. “The last few works for him have been pretty sharp.”
This will be the seventh stakes appearance for Dortmund. The first six were in graded stakes.
Dortmund has won 6 of 8 starts, earned $1,579,400, and is by far the most accomplished of the six runners in the Big Bear. The field includes the stakes winners Motown Men, Mystery Train, Point Piper, and Soi Phet. Baffert also starts Cat Burglar, who has placed in graded stakes.
The Big Bear is the first start at Santa Anita for Motown Men since a 10th-place finish in the Grade 1 Gold Cup in June. Motown Men won the Tiznow Stakes for California-breds here in May with a stalking trip that trainer Ted H. West hopes the 6-year-old gelding can repeat Saturday.
West did not envision facing a top 3-year-old such as Dortmund.
“I thought it would be a nice little overnight stakes,” West said. “We’ll probably just sit off the lead.”
Bevy of Baffert babies
Saturday will be a busy afternoon for Baffert.
Aside from Dortmund’s appearance in the Big Bear Stakes, Baffert has eight 2-year-olds in three races, including four first-time starters. The most highly anticipated of those runners is Hoffenheim, a colt by Midnight Lute bought for $900,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. auction of 2-year-olds in training in Florida in March.
Owned by Shah, Hoffenheim will start in Saturday’s second race, for maidens at 5 1/2 furlongs. Hoffenheim is part of a field of eight that includes first-time starter Drefong, a Gio Ponti colt trained by Baffert, and Lauren’s Ladd, a City Zip colt trained by Phil D’Amato.
Baffert has spoken highly of Hoffenheim in recent weeks but warned this week that the distance might not suit him.
“It’s a little short for him,” he said. “I want to get a race into him.”
In the same conversation, Baffert described Hoffenheim as “really fast.”
Victor Espinoza has the mount on Hoffenheim. Baffert has three runners in the second race and three runners in the sixth race, another maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs for 2-year-olds. Baffert has two starters in the ninth race, a maiden race for 2-year-olds at a mile on turf.