Dortmund resumes serious training, no plans yet for next race

ARCADIA, Calif. – Dortmund was a tired colt after a fourth-place finish behind American Pharoah in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 16. The performance was enough of a disappointment for trainer Bob Baffert to call for a vacation for the winner of the $1 million Santa Anita Derby in April who also was third May 2 in the Kentucky Derby.

After a brief rest, Dortmund has resumed serious training. On Thursday, Dortmund had his first workout since late April, going a half-mile in 49.20 seconds at Santa Anita. Baffert has not set a return date for Dortmund, who he said has regained the weight lost during the Triple Crown.

“He was at 1,247 pounds, and he’s back up over 1,300,” Baffert said. “We’ll get him back. The break was good for him. He got really light. It was a lot of racing for him. The turnaround was too quick.”

Dortmund, who is by Big Brown, races for Kaleem Shah and has won 6 of 8 starts and earned $1,579,400. He was the 4-1 second choice in the Kentucky Derby and finished three lengths behind stablemate American Pharoah.

While Baffert has not stated specific race plans for American Pharoah or Dortmund, other stakes-winning 3-year-olds in the stable have been targeted for races. Whiskey Ticket, who won the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne on April 18 to remain unbeaten in two starts, is a candidate for the Ohio Derby at Thistledown on June 20. Gimme Da Lute, who won the Grade 3 Affirmed Stakes at Santa Anita on June 7, may run in the $350,000 Los Alamitos Derby on July 4.

Plans have not been confirmed for Lord Nelson, who won the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita in February and was fourth in the Pat Day Mile at Churchill Downs on May 2. Lord Nelson is based with Baffert’s stable at Churchill Downs and has not had a published workout since May 20.

One Lucky Dane, second in the Santa Anita Derby, remains turned out on a farm recovering after injuring a leg in an April workout. One Lucky Dane was a candidate for the Kentucky Derby until suffering the injury.