Lukas Has Los Alamitos Futurity in Sights
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Fresh off a grade I victory at Los Alamitos Race Course with Take Charge Brandi in the $350,500 Starlet, trainer D. Wayne Lukas will return to his former Quarter Horse base with Mr. Z in the $500,000 Los Alamitos Futurity (gr. I) Dec. 20.
Mr. Z put in a work over the Los Alamitos track the morning of Dec. 14, clocking five furlongs handily in 1:00 flat, second best of 24 at the distance. According to track clocker Russ Hudak, Zayat Stables' chestnut colt went the first quarter mile in :24 2/5 and three-eighths in :36 1/5, before completing the final two furlongs in :23 4/5.
Dortmund, winner of his two starts to date by a combined 12 1/2 lengths for trainer Bob Baffert, and Mr. Z, runner-up in four of his six graded stakes appearances, headline the 1 1/16-mile test for 2-year-olds. There were 105 nominations for the race. Futurity entries will be taken Dec. 17.
The Futurity will be run for the first time at Los Alamitos after being offered as the Hollywood Futurity (1981-2006) and CashCall Futurity (2007-2013) at Hollywood Park.
Lukas had a happy homecoming at Los Alamitos Dec. 13 when likely Eclipse champion 2-year-old filly Take Charge Brandi scored a front-running half-length tally in the Starlet. It was the record eighth Starlet win for the Hall of Fame conditioner
He will be seeking a fifth Futurity triumph, having won at Hollywood Park with Stalwart (1981), Tejano (1987), Grand Canyon (1989) and Tactical Cat (1998).
Mr. Z will make his second appearance in California after finishing fifth in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I) Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park. Most recently, he missed by a nose to the undefeated Ocho Ocho Ocho in the $1 million Delta Jackpot (gr. III) Nov. 22 at Delta Downs in Vinton, La.
A son of Malibu Moon and the Storm Cat mare Stormy Bear, Mr. Z has banked $439,726 with one win in seven starts. He was second at 17-1 behind runaway winner Carpe Diem in the Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) Oct. 4 at Keeneland.
Dortmund, owned by Kaleem Shah, is 2-for-2 as he makes his first start since winning a one-mile allowance/optional claiming race at Churchill Downs Nov. 29 by 7 3/4 lengths as a 2-5 favorite.
The son of 2008 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and Preakness (both gr. I) winner Big Brown won his debut four weeks earlier by 4 3/4 length at Santa Anita.
Since returning to California, Dortmund worked five furlongs in 1:00 4/5 Dec. 9 at Santa Anita. Dortmund was the top individual choice at 9-1 odds in the first Kentucky Derby Future Wager pool that closed Nov. 30.
Baffert has won the Hollywood/CashCall Futurity a record six times. His most recent success came with Liaison in 2011.
Besides Dortmund and Mr. Z, other possible Futurity starters include No Problem, winner of the Bob Hope Stakes (gr. III) Nov. 15 at Del Mar, Bench Warrant, Firing Line, and the Peter Miller-trained trio of Calculator, Tizcano, and Serbian Syclone.