Dortmund fires bullet, One Lucky Dane out of Derby with injury

Dortmund (outside) zipped over the Santa Anita strip Saturday morning but stablemate One Lucky Dane saw his Derby hopes end (Cecilia Gustavsson/Horsephotos.com)

It was a bittersweet morning for Bob Baffert. After unbeaten Santa Anita
Derby (G1) winner Dortmund (Big Brown) worked five furlongs on Santa Anita’s
main track in a bullet :58 4/5 under regular rider Martin Garcia for the May 2
Kentucky Derby (G1), Santa Anita Derby runner-up One Lucky Dane (Lookin at
Lucky), who also had been ticketed for the Run for the Roses, went five furlongs
with Rafael Bejarano up in :59 1/5.

But One Lucky Dane lost his left front shoe soon after the work, whereupon
Bejarano pulled him up. The horse ambulance brought One Lucky Dane back to
Baffert’s barn.

Baffert later advised the media that X-rays had revealed the beginning of a
condylar fracture in his left front foot, and that two screws would be inserted
during subsequent surgery. One Lucky Dane is expected to be out four months.

It was immeasurably better news on Dortmund, who worked in company with Game
On at Midnite (Midnight Lute), who was clocked in 1:00 4/5. Dortmund’s time was
the fastest of 59 at the distance, the average time of which was 1:00 3/5.

“It was a nice move,” Baffert said of Dortmund. “He was really happy out
there. The track was in great shape today. He’s happy. There’s no regression
(since the Santa Anita Derby on April 4).”