2015 Santa Anita Derby winner Dortmund retired

Photo: Alex Evers / Eclipse Sportswire

Dortmund, the 2015 Santa Anita derby winner who finished third to eventual Triple Crown champion American Pharoah in that year’s Kentucky Derby and fourth in the Preakness Stakes, has been retired, trainer Art Sherman said Sunday morning.
“It seemed like the right time now that’s he’s getting older,” Sherman said of the five-year-old chestnut horse, who finished sixth in the Grade I Kilroe Mile in his turf debut March 11, and fourth by nearly 10 lengths in the Santana Mile on April 1.
“He’s just not the Dortmund he used to be,” said Sherman, who received the over-sized son of 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown in late December after owner Kaleem Shah moved him from Bob Baffert’s barn.
Dortmund will serve as a stallion, but Sherman had no details. “We’re still in negotiations right now,” he said.
Dortmund retired with $1,987,505 in earnings thanks in the main to eight wins from 16 starts, with two seconds and two thirds. His last victory came in the Grade III Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 28, 2015.
CHAMPION SONGBIRD IN BULLET BREEZE
Two time Eclipse Award winner Songbird had her first official workout early Sunday morning since returning late January from WinStar Farm in Kentucky, going three furlongs in a bullet 35.80.
Exercise rider Edgar Rodriguez was aboard the daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, who galloped out four furlongs in 48.40 for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer.

FINISH LINES: After Sunday’s races, there will be a four-day break before the Spring portion of the Santa Anita meet that started Dec. 26 has a fresh start next Friday, April 14. First post time is 1 p.m. . . . Saturday’s Late Pick 4 pool of $1,473,681 set an all-time Santa Anita record, topping the 2015 mark of $1,425,025, also set on Santa Anita Derby Day . . . Richard Baltas had high praise for Corey Nakatani after the 46-year-old jockey piloted 7-1 shot Hillhouse High to a half-length victory over stablemate Mokat in Saturday’s Grade II Royal Heroine Stakes before an on-track crowd of 36,155. “Corey has been helping me in the mornings,” said Baltas, third among trainers this meet with 26 victories that includes five stakes wins. “He was helping me even before he started his comeback and he must have breezed 25 or 30 horses for me. I love Corey’s attitude right now. It’s great, and a lot of people don’t say that about him.” . . . Leading rider Flavien Prat rides Spooky Woods for Jerry Hollendorfer in Friday’s Grade III Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park, and Grade I Gamely winner Illuminant for Michael McCarthy in Saturday’s Jenny Wiley at Keeneland. Illuminant worked four furlongs Sunday in 48 flat . . . Prat piloted Paradise Woods to an 11 ¾-length triumph over 9-10 favorite Abel Tasman in Saturday’s Grade I Santa Anita Oaks, the largest winning margin ever in the race, topping Hall of Famer Silver Spoon’s 10 ½ length romp under Ray York in 1959 . . . Congrats to sisters Norma and Nancy Ramirez of Parking Operations on finishing one-two among Santa Anita women employees in Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby Day 5K event in 25.27 and 30.57 over the 3.1 mile course. Steven Vega of Hospitality won the Men’s competition in 19.55 over Racing’s Jesus Camacho, who was second in 21.23 . . . Woolf Award winner Stewart Elliott rides Kentuckian for Hollendorfer in next Saturday’s Grade III Los Angeles Stakes for three-year-olds and up at six furlongs. Elliott worked the gray son of Tiznow five furlongs Sunday in a minute flat . . . Mike Smith has but 19 wins this meet, but 10, count ‘em, 10, have come in graded stakes. His mounts here have earned $2,114,687, but nationally, thanks to agent Brad Pegram and Arrogate, they have earned more than $9 million.


Source: Santa Anita Park

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