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Given that he is probably the most accomplished racehorse to retire to stud in Maryland in some time, we are excited that the six-time winning Flatter mare Not Me But U (whose seventh dam is none other than the foundation broodmare La Troienne) is going to visit Dortmund in 2019 in a Housatonic Recommended Mating.
First and foremost, with Dortmund being renowned as a massive individual, this mating is one of like-to-like (even if Not Me But U isn’t quite on the same scale as Dortmund, she is still a large mare) — which we always prefer to achieve when possible.
As big as Dortmund is, he is extremely well-balanced and had abundant speed and agility (not to mention precocity) belying his large frame. He brought $90,000 as a yearling before selling for $140,000 at the Timonium 2-year-olds in-training sale to top bloodstock agent Donato Lanni, then broke his maiden first-time out as a 2-year-old by 4-3/4 lengths going 6-1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita for trainer Bob Baffert.
Dortmund ran back a few weeks later in a Churchill Downs allowance going a mile, and this time romped home by 7-3/4 lengths. He wrapped up his unbeaten juvenile campaign when out-dueling Firing Line and Mr. Z to take the Grade 1 Los Alamitos Futurity in a blanket finish at the end of a mile-and-a-sixteenth.
After a brief vacation, Dortmund returned to rip off three more victories in Kentucky Derby preps at Santa Anita: the Grade 3 Bob Lewis over Firing Line (in which Dortmund came back after being a length down midstretch, the top pair more than 20 lengths clear of the 3rd-place finisher), the Grade 2 San Felipe, and the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby by 4-1/4 lengths. That sent Dortmund into the Run For the Roses unbeaten in six races, and he was the second choice behind his stablemate American Pharoah. Dortmund wound up a solid 3rd behind the eventual Triple Crown winner and Firing Line, and then was a disappointing 4th in the G1 Preakness – his first subpar effort.
Dortmund then got a five-month freshening, returning in October to defeat older rivals in the one mile Big Bear Stakes and the Grade 3 Native Diver at 1-1/8 miles (carrying actual top weight in the latter), meaning he closed his sophomore year with a record of (10) 8-0-1. After an extended layoff, Dortmund returned at 4-years-old to finish behind California Chrome in three straight races (2nd in the G2 San Diego, 3rd in the G1 Pacific Classic, and 2nd in the G1 Awesome Again). He closed out that season with a 4th-place finish in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, and was later retired.
However, no stud deal came together and Dortmund was returned to training in 2017 for new trainer Alan Sherman. He finished 6th in his turf debut in the G1 Shoemaker Mile, and 4th in the Santana Mile, before he went to the sidelines again. A late-season comeback was aborted, and instead Dortmund was retired for real, to Bonita Farm in Maryland, having won half of his 16 career starts and $1,987,505, where he covered his first book of mares in 2018.
Though is sire, Big Brown, has been a disappointment at stud and left Kentucky for New York several years ago, he was himself an incredible racehorse, and it is not shocking that he was able to sire a horse with the capabilities of Dortmund. It is also worth noting that Dortmund is inbred 3×3 to the legendary Claiborne stallion Danzig (though he certainly didn’t get his stature from that compact and muscular son of Northern Dancer), and the foal from this mating will be inbred 5x5x5x5 to Northern Dancer — who appears to be the one Thoroughbred that follows the maxim of not being able to have too much of a good thing.
Sons, grandsons and great-grandsons of Danzig have so far sired 31 stakes winners out of mares by sons of A.P. Indy, good for 3.5% of all the foals bred that way. And while Not Me But U’s immediate female family has been a tad quiet lately, a relatively inbred stallion with exceptional ability who fits her perfectly from a physical standpoint could be just the ticket to liven things up.
Dortmund wins the G1 Santa Anita Derby
Dortmund wins the G1 Los Alamitos Futurity
Dortmund wins the G3 Bob Lewis
Dortmund breezing at the Timonium 2-year-old sale