Dortmund will get month to clear up foot problem

ARCADIA, Calif. – Dortmund, one of the top 3-year-olds of 2015, continues to struggle with foot issues that will postpone his 4-year-old debut.

Wednesday, trainer Bob Baffert said he is planning to give Dortmund a one-month rest, which would preclude the colt from starting until late spring or early summer.

“I’ll let his feet grow out,” Baffert said. “I was going to work him, but I’m not seeing what I want to see.”

Owned by Kaleem Shah, Dortmund has won 8 of 10 starts and has earned $1,712,480. He was third in the Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Preakness Stakes last May. Dortmund has not raced since winning the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar in late November, and has not had a workout since Jan. 27.

Mor Spirit, Baffert’s leading hope for the Triple Crown, galloped on Wednesday, a day after he was eased in a workout.

Mor Spirit was pulled up in the stretch under jockey Gary Stevens. Baffert said Mor Spirit has shown lazy behavior in workouts at times and can be difficult to exercise.

Mor Spirit won the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity in December and his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 3 Robert Lewis Stakes on Feb. 6. Baffert said Mor Spirit remains a candidate for the $400,000 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 12, but admits he is taking a cautious approach.

Baffert said a start in the San Felipe “depends on the next work.”

“Yesterday sort of messed up the timing a little,” he said.