ONE week after ruling Kentucky Derby favourite and unbeaten Big Brown colt Dortmund took his record to four from four at Santa Anita, another of the Vinery sire’s glamour colts steps back into the world spotlight at Meyden tonight.
Former sale-topper Darwin will start as one of the main fancies in the Group 3 Firebreak Stakes on his first start back on dirt over a year.
“Darwin has shown us some of his ability and if he takes to the dirt he should be involved in the outcome,” trainer Mike De Kock said.
“He won his first race on dirt at Belmont Park in the US but we can’t safely predict how he will shape up on the Meyden surface, so only the race will show.”
Darwin has racked up an inordinate amount of miles since he was first noticed by Coolmore at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton 2YO In Training sale where he topped the sale at $1.3m.
Darwin began his racing career under the care of Todd Pletcher, known locally as the trainer of More Than Ready and his son Pluck.
Whilst there, Darwin created a positive impression in his two starts, winning on debut at Belmont before his fourth in the Grade 2 Nashua Stakes at Aqueduct.
Subsequently, Darwin was transferred to Ballydoyle with immediate success in a Listed race at Naas.
As for Dortmund, his Kentucky Derby ambitions continue to soar with the Bob Baffert trained giant sending out an ominous sign with last weekend’s victory in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita.
Dortmund is favoured coast to coast to emulate Big Brown’s own rampaging 2008 Kentucky Derby win when the run for the roses arrives on the first Saturday in may as always.
