Dortmund Gets 2015 Campaign Started in Lewis

Unbeaten Dortmund can solidify his position as the West Coast's top 3-year-old when he faces five opponents in the $150,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (gr. III) Feb. 7 at Santa Anita Park.



Kaleem Shah's son of 2008 dual classic winner Big Brown   starts his 3-year-old campaign Saturday for trainer Bob Baffert in an important steppingstone to this spring's Santa Anita Derby (gr. I). Dortmund makes his first appearance since capturing the Los Alamitos Futurity (gr. I) by a head on the outside in a terrific three-horse blanket finish Dec. 20.



Dortmund will be facing the runner-up in the Los Alamitos Futurity, Firing Line, whose game effort came in spite of repeated bumping through the stretch from pacesetter Mr. Z, who finished a nose behind in third while trying to drift out.



One of the top early Triple Crown prospects nationally after three victories to begin his career, Dortmund can pick up 10 points toward a possible starting berth in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) with a victory. The imposing colt has had five works since his Futurity triumph, his most recent a half-mile in :47 3/5 at Santa Anita Feb. 3 — third best of 28 at the distance.



Dortmund began his career with a 4 3/4-length maiden triumph at Santa Anita going 6 1/2 furlongs Nov. 2. Baffert stretched him out to a mile for his next start and Dortmund responded with a 7 3/4-length romp Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs.



He will carry 123 pounds in the Lewis, five more than each of his opponents in the 3-year-old test. Martin Garcia, who has been aboard the chestnut for all his races, has the call again from the far outside post.



Baffert is seeking his fifth lifetime win in the 1 1/16-mile Lewis, which was demoted to a grade III this year for the first time since it was contested as the Santa Catalina Stakes in 1998.

The Lewis is the first of three graded stakes on Saturday's program, race 5 tentatively scheduled for 2:30 p.m. PST. Also on the card are the $200,000 San Marcos Stakes (gr. IIT) at 1 1/4 miles on turf and the $500,000 San Antonio Stakes (gr. II) at 1 1/8 miles featuring Horse of the Year California Chrome.



Firing Line, who is conditioned by Simon Callaghan for Arnold Zetcher, pressed fast fractions of :21.98, :45.29 and 1:09.64 in the Futurity, his first try around two turns. The son of Line of David   stayed on stubbornly despite taking the worst of it before being tagged at the wire by the fast-closing Dortmund in a time of 1:40.86 over 1 1/16 miles.



Gary Stevens has the call for the first time from post 5 on Firing Line. The fast-developing bay colt graduated at Del Mar going 6 1/2 furlongs by 4 1/4 lengths three weeks before the Futurity.



Donegal Racing's Rock Shandy, trained by Peter Miller, comes off a second to stablemate Calculator in Santa Anita's one-mile Sham Stakes (gr. III) Jan. 10. The Lemon Drop Kid   ridgling was a close third in the Cecil B. DeMille Stakes (gr. IIIT) at one mile on the turf Nov. 30.  His second to the recently sidelined Calculator in the Sham was his first try on dirt. Victor Espinoza has the return mount from gate 2.



Miller also enters Tizcano, an allowance winner at Del Mar in November by a head over Mischief Clem, recent winner of the California Cup Derby.



Trainer Jeff Mullins will be represented by Hero Ten All, who was away slowly and never factored when running sixth, beaten 10 lengths in the Sham. Edward K. Gaylord II's late-running son of Rock Hard Ten broke his maiden going a flat mile at Los Alamitos Dec. 7.



Outsider Sebastian's Heart completes the field.