Apr 4, 2015 3 min read

Dortmund opened up leaving the final turn and romped to a 4¼-length win in the $1 million Santa Anita Derby Saturday, keeping the colt unbeaten heading into the Kentucky Derby.

Ridden by Martin Garcia, Dortmund led all the way in running 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.73 and paid $3.20, $2.40 and $2.10 as the 3-5 favorite in the six-horse field. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert earned his record seventh victory in the West Coast’s major prep for the Kentucky Derby.

One Lucky Dane, also trained by Baffert, returned $4.80 and $2.80, while Bolo was another 2¼ lengths back in third and paid $3 to show. Prospect Park was fourth, followed by Cross the Line and Bad Read Sanchez.

Dortmund improved to 6-0 and earned 100 points for the victory, moving him into second place on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard that determines the 20-horse field for the May 2 race.

Dortmund bobbled slightly coming out of the starting gate in the No. 1 post – a spot Baffert detests – but he quickly went to the lead.

One Lucky Dane was running just 16 days after returning from a 4½-month layoff with a victory March 19. He showed Baffert he’s good enough to earn a trip to Churchill Downs, too. Baffert’s other top horse, American Pharoah, will run in next weekend’s Arkansas Derby, giving the white-haired trainer a third shot at winning the Kentucky Derby for the fourth time in his career.

Frosted takes Wood; Derby likely next stop: Frosted took the lead from long shot Tencendur in midstretch and won the $1 million Wood Memorial by two lengths in a key prep race on the road to the Kentucky Derby.

With his first win in more than five months Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack, Frosted earned 100 Derby qualifying points to secure a starting spot in the Run for the Roses May 2.

Ridden by Joel Rosario, Frosted covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.31, and returned $6.40, $4.50 and $3. Tencendur, sent off at 21-1, paid $15.40 and $5.60. El Kabeir was third and paid $2.70.

Tencendur earned 40 Derby points for second, and likely earned enough points to qualify for the Derby.

El Kabeir, who came into the race off a win in the Gotham, already had enough points to make the Derby field set at a maximum of 20 starters.

Carpe Diem wins Blue Grass: Carpe Diem seized the lead near the top of the stretch after stalking early leader Ocho Ocho Ocho and drawing away to a 3-length victory in the $750,000 Toyota Blue Grass in Lexington, Ky., cementing his place as one of the top contenders for next month’s Kentucky Derby.

The heavy favorite at 2-5 in the field of eight improved his lifetime record to four wins in five starts and paid $2.80, $2.40 and $2.10.

Danzig Moon ran late for second and returned $7.80 and $5. Ocho Ocho Ocho was another 2 1/2 lengths back and paid $3.20 to show.

Carpe Diem finished the 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.77 under jockey John Velazquez.

Trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by WinStar Farm and Stonestreet Stables, Carpe Diem won the Tampa Bay Derby by 5 lengths in his only other 2015 start. His lone defeat came in a runner-up finish in November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita.