Arcadia, CA
Dortmund returned to Santa Anita in dominate fashion taking the Big Bear Stakes on Saturday.
In his first race back since finishing fourth in the Preakness Stakes, the 3-year-old colt made short work of the five horse field.
Dortmund sat right off the leader Soi Phet, setting slow fractions of :23 and :47, and took command without even being asked by regular rider Martin Garcia around the far turn.
Garcia said "he's back" and it showed. His final margin of victory was 1 3/4 lengths, but it was done in a geared down workout mode.
The heavy favorite returned $2.60 to win and ran the 1 mile in a final time of 1:36.42.
Second place finisher Point Piper gave a valiant effort to make it close on paper and Motown Men finished a well back third.
Dortumd has now earned more than $1.6 million and is expected to race next in the Grade I Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs in November.