Arcadia, CA (SportsNetwork.com) – San Felipe Stakes winner Dortmund will break
from the inside post versus five challengers in Saturday’s $1 million Santa
Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park.
The 1 1/8-mile stakes offers 100 points to the winning 3-year-old as part of
the Kentucky Derby points system that determines the 20-horse field for the
Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs on May 2.
Dortmund, trained by Bob Baffert, is the 3-5 morning line favorite and will
again have Martin Garcia in the saddle. Owned by Kaleem Shah, the undefeated
chestnut colt has won both starts this year with the Robert B. Lewis and San
Felipe.
“He’s starting to fill out, getting stronger,” Baffert noted. “The worse thing
you can do is take him back and get him behind a wall of horses.”
Dortmund has 70 points in the Derby points system and has banked $689,400 from
his five winning career starts.
The Hall of Fame trainer will also saddle One Lucky Dane with Rafael Bejarano
riding from post 2. Owned by Michael Lund Petersen, One Lucky Dane is 5-1 in
the program.
“He likes this track and he runs well here,” Baffert said of One Lucky Dane.
“If he runs well here, it gives us time to recuperate.”
The colt will be making his second start of the season on Saturday following a
one mile allowance victory by 9 3/4 lengths on March 19 at Santa Anita.
Overall he has two wins from five career starts for $92,400.
The 7-2 second pick is Prospect Park who will be ridden by Kent Desormeaux
from post 5. Trained by Clifford Sise, Prospect Park is owned by breeders Pam
and Martin Wygod.
Prospect Park was second to Dortmund in the San Felipe when making his stakes
debut.
“They won the battle, but we’ll win the war,” Desormeaux said about the San
Felipe.
Prospect Park has two wins and two seconds in six career starts for $166,570.
Here is the field for the Santa Anita Derby from the rail out: Dortmund,
Martin Garcia, 3-5; One Lucky Dane, Rafael Bejarano, 5-1; Cross the Line, Juan
Hernandez, 15-1; Bolo, Mike Smith, 4-1; Prospect Park, Kent Desormeaux, 7-2
and Bad Read Sanchez, Martin Gutierrez, 30-1. All horses carry 122 pounds.
NBC Sports Network will provide live coverage of the Santa Anita Derby from
5-7 p.m. ET as part of NBC Triple Crown Prep Day, which includes the Blue
Grass Stakes and Wood Memorial. Post time will be approximately 6:30 p.m. ET.
