A horse that was sold three times before it had raced has emerged as the pre-post favourite to win the 2015 Kentucky Derby.  Trainer Bob Baffert’s big chestnut colt Dortmund stole the show on Saturday’s “Stars of Tomorrow” card at Churchill Downs and will be aimed at Derby.

The all-juvenile program featured the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club and G2 Golden Rod Stakes, nevertheless, Dortmund’s allowance conquest made the most lasting impression.

Dortmund (2c Big Brown – Our Josephina by Tale of the Cat) literally and figuratively towered over his rivals on Saturday.  He had been listed at 50-1 in pre-post markets for the 2015 Kentucky Derby but those odds dropped to 9-1 following his four length victory over 1600 metres.

The 2YO is under the care of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert who is shooting for his fourth Kentucky Derby win having won the race with Silver Charm (in 1997) followed by Real Quiet in 1998 and lastly in 2002 with War Emblem.

“He needs a little experience, he’s still developing,” assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes said.  “Basically, we wanted to see how he handled Churchill.  He handled it really well, didn’t he.”

A son of Vinery Stud’s 2008 Kentucky Derby champion Big Brown, he started a prohibitive odds-on favourite and the race was essentially over a long way from home.  “The extra distance wasn’t a problem,” jockey Martin Garcia said.  “I never asked for anything and then at the top of the stretch, I asked him for a little bit.  I wanted to make sure he was in control.”

Dortmund made his racetrack debut on November 2 in a maiden at Santa Anita over 6.5 furlongs (about 1300m) winning by 4 3/4-lens.
The colt was even more emphatic 27-days later when streaking to a 7 3/4-lens win at Chrcuhill Downs in a mile allowance.

Dortmund was originally sold for US$85,000 at the Keeneland November Weanling sale in 2012.
He next appeared at the Fasig-Tipton July Yearling sale where he was knocked down for US$90,000.
Dortmund was sold for a third time at that firm’s Midlantic Sale Of 2-Year-Olds where he breezed-up a furlong in a slick :10 1/5s leading to a final bid of $140,000.

DORTMUND LEADS INDIVIDUAL PICKS IN DERBY BET AT 9/1

Two 2-year-olds from the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, Dortmund and American Pharoah are favourite among individual selections in the future wager pool for the 2015 Kentucky Derby

Kaleem Shah’s Dortmund, a son of Big Brown, is 2-for-2 in his brief career for three-time Derby winner Baffert.

Yet to make his first stakes appearance, Dortmund closed as the top individual choice at 9-1, bet down from 50-1 on the morning line.

Meanwhile, Zayat Stables’ two-time grade I winner American Pharaoh, who opened at 12-1 on the early line, is also at 9-1.

As is almost always the case in the early future wagering, horses not quoted closed as the 3-5 favourite.