Dr. Dorr has easy time in Californian Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – As it turns out, Dr. Dorr does not need the lead to win a big race around two turns.

On Saturday at Santa Anita, the improving gelding scored a convincing victory in the Grade 2 Californian Stakes to emerge as a force in a currently shallow West Coast handicap division. This time, Dr. Dorr did it from off the pace.

Dr. Dorr previously won a minor stakes by leading gate to wire, and he appeared to be the lone speed in the $200,000 Californian at 1 1/8 miles. However, the 10-year-old Soi Phet surprisingly sped to the lead, so Dr. Dorr’s rider Joe Talamo let him have it.

The odds-on favorite, Dr. Dorr pressed Soi Phet two-wide, took the lead when Soi Phet folded nearing the three-eighths pole, opened up into the lane, and coasted by 7 1/4 lengths. The final time was 1:49.84 over a main track. Dr. Dorr ($3) earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 108.

Bob Baffert trains Dr. Dorr for his wife Jill, who owns the 5-year-old gelding. Going into the Californian, Baffert was uncertain if Dr. Dorr could be as effective from off the pace.

“Today it looks like he’s found a new dimension, we weren’t sure he could stalk,” Baffert said afterward. “We thought maybe he was one-dimensional.”

The win was his third straight, all since he was gelded. The order of finish behind Dr. Dorr was Prince of Arabia, The Lieutenant, Full of Luck, Soi Phet, and Curlin Road.

The next stakes race for the handicap division is the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita, a 1 1/4-mile race on May 26.

Dr. Dorr earned $120,000 and has now won five races and $288,320 from 11 starts.

“At least we earned enough money to buy our Derby tickets,” Baffert cracked. He is pointing Justify and Solomini to the Kentucky Derby next week.