Baffert considers Malibu Stakes and two more for Dortmund

On Monday, Bob Baffert said he has three races at Santa Anita under consideration as a possible next start for Dortmund, who Baffert said came out of his victory Saturday in the Native Diver Stakes at Del Mar in excellent condition.

Baffert is contemplating whether to turn back Dortmund to seven furlongs for the Grade 1, $300,000 Malibu Stakes on opening day Dec. 26 or to keep him around two turns in the Grade 2, $200,000 San Pasqual on Jan. 9 at 1 1/16 miles or even to wait for the Grade 2, $500,000 San Antonio at 1 1/8 miles Feb. 6. The Native Diver was at 1 1/8 miles. “I’ll just see how he’s doing the closer we get,” said Baffert. “He’s a big horse, so I usually like to wait a couple of weeks after he runs to see how he’s doing.”

The Malibu is expected to include Runhappy, winner of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, while the San Pasqual is the likely comeback race for California Chrome, the 2014 Horse of the Year. Dortmund won the Native Diver carrying three more pounds than he should have, Tom Robbins, track vice president of racing and industry relations, said Sunday morning. According to the conditions of the race, 3-year-olds were assigned a maximum of 121 pounds and older horses 124, with weight allowances for horses that hadn’t won graded races over a period of time.

Dortmund incorrectly was given 124 pounds, even though he is a 3-year-old. Entries were taken Wednesday morning and the race wasn’t until Saturday, but Robbins said the mistake wasn’t discovered by a racing official until five minutes after the race was made official. It turned out not to matter as Dortmund won the race easily, his eighth victory in 10 starts. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 103.

** The 2-year-old Scat Daddy colt Arabian Leopard, a $575,000 purchase at auction earlier this year, had lost his first four starts, twice as the favorite, once at odds on, but he finally burst through with a sharp maiden victory Sunday at Del Mar. “He’d been a disappointment,” said Baffert, his trainer. “He worked well but didn’t run well. I even tried him on the grass. His last couple of works, he turned the corner. I was hoping for something like that. That was encouraging.”