Dortmund Retired, Will Stand at Bonita Farm in Maryland

Grade 1 winner Dortmund has been retired from racing "for good" and will stand at Bonita Farm in Darlington, Md., for the 2018 breeding season, owner Kaleem Shah said Oct. 20.

After an announced retirement in April, the two-time grade 1 winner and millionaire was brought back into training by Shah over the summer. Under the guidance of trainer Art Sherman at Los Alamitos Race Course, the massive 5-year-old son of Big Brown  was pointed to a start in the Sept. 30 Awesome Again Stakes (G1), but a final work at Santa Anita Park Sept. 27 was not up to snuff.

"(Sherman and assistant trainer Alan Sherman) didn't give me the thumbs up on him after that work," Shah said. "We were only going to race if he was training with the same gusto (he showed early in his career). I would have brought him back if he was."

Bill Boniface, owner of Bonita Farm, called Dortmund the most serious racehorse to enter stud in Maryland in about 10 years.

"He is a fantastic-looking horse. He just captivates you," Boniface said. "He is so well balanced and has a tremendous presence about him. I think he will get a lot of strong support."

Boniface said the Maryland market is particularly attractive right now because of the tremendous growth in purses and breeders' incentive funds fueled by new casinos. 

"No question. We are on the upswing," he said.

Shah, who is retaining full ownership of Dortmund, agreed.

"It seems there is a lot of promise out there (in Maryland), so we're hopeful he'll get a good start," he said.

Dortmund will stand for $7,500, according to Boniface. The stallion is expected to arrive at Bonita Oct. 25.

At age 2 in 2014 under the care of trainer Bob Baffert, Dortmund won the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1), then at 3 the chestnut took the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3), San Felipe Stakes (G2), and Santa Anita Derby (G1), and entered the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) undefeated.

BALAN: Dortmund Unrelenting in Santa Anita Derby

He finished third behind Baffert stablemate and eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah  at Churchill Downs, then came in fourth in the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (G1) and won two more stakes in Southern California to close his 3-year-old campaign.

He never won again although he did give the Sherman-trained California Chrome  tough tests during runner-up efforts in the 2016 San Diego Handicap (G2) and Awesome Again.

BALAN: 'Chrome' Edges Dortmund in Del Mar Battle

After a winless 4-year-old campaign and a split with Baffert, Shah moved Dortmund to Sherman and he went winless in two 2017 starts—a sixth-place run on grass in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1T) and a fourth-place finish in the April 1 Santana Mile Stakes back on dirt.

Dortmund ended his racing career with a record of 8-2-2 from 16 starts and more than $1.9 million in earnings.