Dortmund Confirmed For Grade I Frank Kilroe Mile; Here’s Your Weekend Stakes Preview

Santa Anita and Tampa Bay Downs both host huge cards this Saturday, March 11th. Tampa Bay will distribute $760,000 in stakes purses — most in their history — while Santa Anita’s storied “Big Cap” headlines a card that features three Grade I stakes, a $1 Million Guaranteed Late Pick-4  and a major Derby prep race as well.

Both tracks start a bit earlier than normal — Tampa Bay at 12 Noon and Santa Anita at 3 PM. Wager the action at the new Off Track Betting Centers in Richmond — Breakers Sports Grille and Ponies & Pints. Virginia residents can also bet on line via TVG.com,  XPressBet.com, TwinSpires.com and NYRABets.com. Here is the lineup:

Tampa Bay Downs: Race 8 (3:55 PM) – $100,000 Challenger Stakes. Race 9 (4:25 PM) – $200,000 Florida Oaks (Gr. 3). Race 10 (4:55 PM) – $200,000 Hillsborough Stakes (Gr. 3). Race 11(5:27 PM) – $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby (Gr. 2)

Santa Anita: Race 5 (5:00 PM) – $400,000 San Felipe Stakes (Gr. 2). Race 8 (6:30 PM) – $400,000 Triple Bend Stakes (Gr. I). Race 9 (7:00 PM) – $400,000 Frank Kilroe Mile (Gr. I). Race 10 (7:30 PM) – Santa Anita Handicap (Gr. I). Race 11(8:00 PM) – $75,000 China Doll Stakes

Here’s an article on Dortmund, from Bloodhorse.com.

.A new trainer led to a new surface for Kaleem Shah’s Dortmund.

Stabled with Art Sherman at Los Alamitos Race Course after Shah and Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert parted ways at the end of 2016, the 5-year-old will take his first steps onto the Santa Anita Park lawn March 11 in the $400,000 Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1T).

“I think this will be an easier race for him than running seven-eighths in the (grade 1) Triple Bend (on the same day),” Sherman said. “Seven-eighths of a mile is a very demanding type of race and he hasn’t run in almost six months. Breeding-wise, I always wondered why they never tried the grass with him.”

Dortmund’s sire Big Brown   won his debut on turf at Saratoga Race Course before shifting to dirt for his Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) wins, and 11 of the stallion’s 17 stakes winners have won stakes on the grass. Dortmund’s dam, the Tale of the Cat   mare Our Josephina, finished fifth in her only turf try, but produced a two-time turf winner from five foals to race.

The towering Dortmund inhabits the double-wide stall left vacant by recently retired two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome  , and while he doesn’t boast quite the résumé of that dual classic winner, he earned respect of his own during his sophomore season with a six-race win streak, capped by his 2015 Santa Anita Derby (G1) score. His momentum was spoiled by the Kentucky Derby win of eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah  , behind whom Dortmund ran third in the Derby and fourth in the Preakness. He ended that year with wins in the Big Bear Stakes and Native Diver Stakes (G3), both at Santa Anita.

BALAN: Dortmund Unrelenting in Santa Anita Derby

Dortmund’s 2016 slate saw him hit the board in four stakes, although he was troubled by quarter cracks and ran a limited campaign in the second half of the year. The Kilroe will be his first start for Sherman and his first since running fourth in the Nov. 4 Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1). Victor Espinoza has the mount from post 4 and Dortmund will carry 120 pounds.

A familiar rival awaits—Golden Pegasus Racing and Earle Mack’s Bolo. The 5-year-old son of Temple City   also has prior dirt form, with a third in the 2015 Santa Anita Derby and San Felipe Stakes (G2), both won by Dortmund. Trainer Carla Gaines made the successful shift to turf after a 12th-place run in the Kentucky Derby, and Bolo has picked up two high-level wins in the Arcadia Stakes (G2T) both last year and this season.

BALAN: Bolo Repeats in Arcadia Stakes

Bolo will carry 122 pounds, and shares that assignment with the three that came behind him in the Arcadia. What a View, winner of the Kilroe Mile in 2016, finished second by a head. Then came Mathis Brothers Mile (G2T) winner Conquest Enforcer, followed by 2015 Kilroe victor Ring Weekend.

Completing the field are Bal a Bali  , who has not raced since a sixth in The Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) in June, and grade 2 winner Flamboyant, who cuts back in distance off a third in the 1 1/4-mile San Marcos Stakes (G2T) Feb. 4.