Dortmund a Game Victor in Futurity Thriller

Dortmund (outside) prevailed in a thrilling edition of the Los Alamitos Futurity on Saturday with Firing Line (center) and Mr. Z (inside) battling him to the finish line. (BENOIT photo)
Dortmund drew all of the hype entering the $500,000 Los Alamitos Futurity, but he had plenty of company in the Los Alamitos stretch in a thrilling three-horse photo finish on Saturday.
Pacesetter Mr. Z, Firing Line and Dortmund hooked up in the stretch and battled stride for stride through a pulse-pounding final sixteenth of a mile. It took a new track record, but Dortmund was able to push his head in front at the finish line with the determined trio finishing about a head apart.
Trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert for owner Kaleem Shah, Dortmund completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:40.86 under Martin Garcia for his third win in as many starts. He won his previous two starts by a combined margin of 12 ½ lengths but his stakes debut proved much more difficult.
Mr. Z, runner-up in the $1-million Delta Downs Jackpot Stakes on Nov. 22 and second in the Grade 1 Lane’s End Breeders’ Futurity in the fall, seized command early in the Los Alamitos Futurity. He blazed through an opening quarter-mile in :21.98 with Firing Line, fresh off a 4 ½-length romp on Nov. 30 at Del Mar, close up in second.
Dortmund moved up aggressively on the backstretch and was in the clear on the outside through a half-mile in :45.29.
Firing Line challenged Mr. Z nearing the top of the stretch and Dortmund surged forward from the outside to join them. Game Firing Line gained a slim advantage as the three horses thundered toward the finish line but Dortmund made one final surge to earn a hard-fought, Grade 1 victory by a head as the 3-to-5 favorite.
Firing Line edged Mr. Z by a nose for second.
THRILLING FINISH

BENOIT photo
This week the hype swelled around Dortmund as he was made the favorite in Wynn Las Vegas’ future book for the 2015 Kentucky Derby before he had a single stakes win to his credit.
Donato Lanni purchased Dortmund for $140,000 at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training on behalf of Shah. The chestnut colt is by 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Big Brown.
Dortmund has earned $359,400 with three wins in as many starts and banked 10 points for the Road to the Kentucky Derby scoring system that determines the field for the first jewel of the Triple Crown.
Bred in Kentucky by Emilie Gerlinde Fojan, Dortmund is one of four winners from five starters out of Grade 3-placed stakes winner Our Josephine, by Tale of the Cat. His third dam (maternal great-grandmother) is 1977 champion 2-year-old filly Lakeville Miss.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
BAFFERT CONGRATULATES HIS BUDDING STAR

BENOIT photo