Dortmund, One Lucky Dane likely to meet again in Kentucky Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. – Both Dortmund and One Lucky Dane, the top two finishers Saturday in the Santa Anita Derby, came out of the race well, trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday morning, and both are set to move on to the Kentucky Derby on May 2.

In addition, both the third-place finisher Bolo and the fourth-place finisher Prospect Park are under consideration for the Kentucky Derby, so the top four from the Santa Anita Derby could run in Kentucky, provided – in the cases of Bolo and Prospect Park – they have sufficient points. Both have 30, currently putting them on either side of the bubble of the 20-horse field.

Dortmund – who got a Beyer Speed Figure of 106 for his victory – lost his right front shoe at the start of the race, but he did not grab himself nor suffer any other minor injury in the incident.

One Lucky Dane had a sore eye after the race after being hit by a dirt clod, Baffert theorized, but assistant Jim Barnes reported the eye was much better Sunday morning.

“He looked like he was in the ring with Pacquiao,” Baffert said.

:: ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays

Baffert said he instructed jockey Rafael Bejarano on One Lucky Dane not to engage Dortmund too soon or “he'll bury you.”

“I was hoping for that result. He kept going – steady, steady, steady,” Baffert said.

One Lucky Dane earned 40 points for the finish, which gets him into the Derby field.

Baffert thinks both will relish 1 1/4 miles.

“The distance is not a problem at all,” Baffert said.

Baffert could have three starters in the Derby – Dortmund, One Lucky Dane, and American Pharoah, who has his final Derby prep Saturday in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. American Pharoah already has sufficient points to make the Derby field, but even if he wins, the second-place finisher in that race will earn 40 points, impacting the points list for Bolo and Prospect Park.

Bolo will remain under consideration for the Kentucky Derby, trainer Carla Gaines said Sunday morning.

“It’ll be up to the owners to make the decision,” Gaines said.

Gaines was impressed with Dortmund, whom Bolo has unsuccessfully chased in both the Santa Anita Derby and San Felipe Stakes.

“We had an uncomfortable trip, a wide trip, but it didn’t matter,” Gaines said. “We weren’t going to beat that horse if we went around again – between those two of Bob’s [Dortmund and American Pharoah], holy guacamole.”

Gaines said she believes Bolo “is actually better on grass.”

“He has a different way of going on grass,” she said.

Prospect Park picked the wrong day to have a bad day, trainer Cliff Sise Jr. said Sunday. He said Prospect Park was fine Saturday morning when he jogged but was “too quiet” the rest of the day and didn't perform to expectations in the afternoon.

“When he jogged, he acted like a million dollars,” Sise said. “But later, he was quiet in his stall. His temperature was OK, but something was awry. You just have to toss the race out.”

Sise said Prospect Park sustained a few minor leg lacerations during the race. Prospect Park left Santa Anita on Sunday for San Luis Rey Downs, where Sise is based.

Sise said “the plan is still to go” to Churchill Downs.

“Marty [Wygod, Prospect Park’s owner] said to head back, but only if he’s 100 percent would we run him,” said Sise. “If we don’t get into the Derby on points, we could still run in the Pat Day Mile.”

The Pat Day Mile formerly was known as the Derby Trial and now is run on Kentucky Derby Day.