Dortmund: The Most Exciting Horse in Training?

Well, that was easy.

Rather than writing a humdrum recap of today’s Native Diver, I would rather let the horse do the talking. Before that, though, let's hear from the man in the saddle today, Gary Stevens.

"He's just got that big long stide; that big engine," said the Hall of Fame rider.

The horse, of course, is Dortmund, and for the eighth time in ten lifetime starts, the big chestnut returned from his assignment an impressive winner. Giving good horses like Imperative and Iron Fist several pounds, while running the nine furlongs in 1:48.06, and winning by an easy 4 ½ lengths, despite a quarter crack needing to be patched this week -- it was another powerhouse performance by a powerhouse horse. It all makes me wonder how good he may become. It also makes me think, with the retirement of his celebrated stablemate, that Dortmund is now the most exciting horse in training.

Sure there is no shortage of other qualified candidates to lay claim to the title, including a few other who call California home, like Shared Belief and California Chrome, but there is just something about Dortmund. Speed, heart, and a sense of still untapped potential -- the big son of Big Brown would seem to have it all.

And yes, I know that this was only a Grade 3 race, rather than the Grade 1 affair he was scheduled to attend at Churchill Downs over the holiday weekend. Who are we to question the decision made by his Hall of Fame trainer, Bob Baffert, though? After all, he did what he thought was best for his horse, and considering the future we all believe Dortmund still has in front of him, doesn’t that make perfect sense? Yes, America -- Dortmund’s future is so bright, he has to wear very big shades.