Résumé, bloodlines favor Dortmund at Derby
The top 3-year-old hopefuls leading up to the Kentucky Derby, the first leg of racing’s Triple Crown, on May 2. No. 1 Dortmund Bob Baffert Kaleem Shah, Inc. Martin Garcia
The son of 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown is the sire’s first Grade I winner. His mare, Our Josephina, is by Storm Cat horse Tale of the Cat, a graded stakes winner.
The chestnut colt remained undefeated in six starts, distancing for a 41⁄ length score in the April 4 Santa Anita Derby. The race has produced two of the last three Kentucky Derby winners, with I’ll Have Another (2012) and California Chrome (2014) using it as a final prep. This year’s race looked much like the last. Dortmund moved upon when called by Garcia and won with no trouble.
Early in his career, Dortmund stalked before pouncing in the stretch, coming with a late burst of speed. But in the March 7 San Felipe and the Santa Anita Derby, he found the front early and stayed there. The latter two races were run without Derby-bound Firing Line in the field. The Simon Callaghan trainee twice pushed Dortmund to the wire during prep season, looking as if he’d score an upset in the Feb. 7 Robert B. Lewis before Dortmund rallied late.
Two horses have entered the Kentucky Derby 6for-6 and won. You may have heard of them — Seattle Slew (1977) and Smarty Jones (2004).
Dortmund is scheduled to ship to Churchill Downs on April 26, the Sunday before the Derby. It hasn’t been mentioned whether he’ll work at Churchill Downs before the race.
“It’s exciting,” Baffert said after the Santa Anita Derby. “I’ve been in this position before. You get excited when you know you have a legit contender, just like last year when Art Sherman went through it with California Chrome. The feeling is like we’ve been here before; just enjoy the moment because the next race is going to be the one.” No. 2 American Pharoah Baffert Zayat Stables Victor Espinoza
By 2009 Derby runner-up Pioneerof the Nile, also owned by Zayat and trained by Baffert, the colt has modest bloodlines on his mother’s side. Lightly raced mare Littleprincessemma is another Zayat, with Yankee Gentleman her sire.
American Pharoah delivered a jaw-dropping performance in his second race back from a left-front foot injury that kept him from running in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He romped in the April 11 Arkansas Derby, winning by eight lengths.
American Pharoah likes the front. The only time he didn’t find it — as a favorite in his debut in August at Del Mar — he sat second early and wound up fifth in a maiden special weight race. On the same surface a month later, American Pharoah went wire-to-wire in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity.
American Pharoah’s Arkansas Derby compares well to that of Bodemeister, another Zayat horse and eventual Derby runner-up, from 2012. Bodemeister won by 91⁄ lengths and covered 11⁄ miles in 1:48.71. American Pharoah won by eight lengths and in 1:48.52.
American Pharoah arrived April 13 at Churchill Downs on a flight from Arkansas. He’s scheduled to have one timed work over the dirt in Louisville before the first Saturday in May.
“He’s an amazing horse,” Baffert said after the Arkansas Derby. “With the way he works, he’s always been a professional horse from the start.” No. 3 Carpe Diem Todd Pletcher Winstar Farm, LLC and Stonestreet Stables, LLC John Velazquez
He’s by Giant’s Causeway, the Kentucky-bred star named 2000 European horse of the year. Dam Redbridled Dreams, by Unbridled’s Song, won in ungraded stakes company and ran third in the 2003 Silverbulletday Stakes.
Carpe Diem made easy work of the first Toyota Blue Grass Stakes field contested a month out from the Derby and back on dirt. The chart lists him as a winner by three lengths, noting he drew away, but critics have pointed out he didn’t do it quite as easily as other Derby favorites Dortmund (Santa Anita Derby) and American Pharoah (Arkansas Derby) in their final preps.
Carpe Diem typically positions near the front, stalking the leader. What might cause concern in the Derby, depending on where he draws, is trouble loading into the gate. “He has a history of that, a little, and we will continue to work to try to get that corrected,” Pletcher said after the March 7 Tampa Bay Derby, attributing the behavior to sire Giant’s Causeway and grandsire Storm Cat. “(But) that’s what makes him good. We’re delighted with the way he ran today.”
Despite running second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and winning two graded stakes on the road to the Derby, Carpe Diem’s winnings ($1,519,800) haven’t topped his massive sale price ($1,600,000) as a 2-year-old in training.
Carpe Diem remains at Keeneland, at least for now, with the rest of Pletcher’s string.
“The horse had trained really, really well. We were excited coming into (the Blue Grass) and happy to see him deliver,” Pletcher said. No. 4 Frosted Kiaran McLaughlin Godolphin Racing Joel Rosario
The gray colt is by leading sire Tapit and out of dam Fast Cookie, who raced eight times at Churchill Downs, winning twice at the allowance level and running third in the 2003 La Troienne Stakes on Derby day.
Upsetting favored El Kabeir, Frosted rallied to win the April 4 Twinspires.com Wood Memorial despite running as wide as the four path in the turn. He finished two lengths ahead of runner-up Tencendur.
Since moving to races of at least a mile after runner-up finishes in two sprints, Frosted has showcased a closing approach. One start after taking the lead at the top of the stretch in the Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream, only to fade to fourth, he held strong in the Wood, setting up as a capable router.
Between the Fountain of Youth and Wood, McLaughlin made big changes. He switched riders from Irad Ortiz Jr. to Rosario. He tweaked Frosted’s blinkers. The trainer even called for a minor throat surgery to ensure his colt could breath clearly, then saw it in action as he worked three-quarters of a mile behind two horses.
Frosted will train up to the Derby in Florida, McLaughlin said, as the trainer dodges rain drops he saw forecast for Kentucky and New York. He might ship in for a final work at Churchill.
“I don’t often work a horse that distance, and I feel bad about the rider change, but we had to change everything,” McLaughlin said after the Wood. “It worked out.”