After watching Dortmund's front-running score in the San Felipe Stakes (USA-II), count me in among his growing number of fans. The hulking colt is still growing into himself, but his increasing professionalism and his versatility are impressive. He can run on the inside or the outside and from off the pace or on the lead. This is one horse on the Kentucky Derby trail who doesn't have to have things his own way to be dangerous, and it's beginning to look as though he has another prized asset: the tactical speed to make his own luck.
His San Felipe win wasn't particularly easy, but then Dortmund never does things the easy way. He likes the excitement of a good tussle and may have been waiting around a little on his opposition. Give him a challenge as Bolo did, though, and Dortmund gets down to business with long, fluid, efficient strides that may carry him further than his pedigree suggests (see my 12/20/2014 post on him). There are not many horses who are going to pass him when he's going like that and not many who will be able to stave off one of his gritty challenges.
While his final time of 1:41.65 is slower than California Chrome's sparkling 1:40.59 last year, it was made off a slower early pace and is still much the best time turned in by any of the major Triple Crown prospects at the distance this year. What makes it especially impressive is that Dortmund ran the final 5/16 in :30.35 and gave the impression that he could have found more if he'd needed it.
The other attractive thing about Dortmund as a Derby prospect is his level of seasoning. While he's only made five lifetime starts, he has gotten a lot out of each race since stepping into stakes company, and he is still growing and developing both mentally and physically. I don't know yet that he is going to be my Derby pick, but at this point he's certainly among the top three or four on my radar.
His San Felipe win wasn't particularly easy, but then Dortmund never does things the easy way. He likes the excitement of a good tussle and may have been waiting around a little on his opposition. Give him a challenge as Bolo did, though, and Dortmund gets down to business with long, fluid, efficient strides that may carry him further than his pedigree suggests (see my 12/20/2014 post on him). There are not many horses who are going to pass him when he's going like that and not many who will be able to stave off one of his gritty challenges.
While his final time of 1:41.65 is slower than California Chrome's sparkling 1:40.59 last year, it was made off a slower early pace and is still much the best time turned in by any of the major Triple Crown prospects at the distance this year. What makes it especially impressive is that Dortmund ran the final 5/16 in :30.35 and gave the impression that he could have found more if he'd needed it.
The other attractive thing about Dortmund as a Derby prospect is his level of seasoning. While he's only made five lifetime starts, he has gotten a lot out of each race since stepping into stakes company, and he is still growing and developing both mentally and physically. I don't know yet that he is going to be my Derby pick, but at this point he's certainly among the top three or four on my radar.
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