Dortmund Makes Return in Big Bear

Kaleem Shah's two-time grade I winner Dortmund is scheduled to make his first start since his Triple Crown bid in the $70,000 Big Bear Stakes Oct. 24 at Santa Anita Park.



After an injury setback, the 3-year-old son of Big Brown   worked steadily over the summer at Del Mar and recently at Santa Anita Park, and appears to be geared up for his return for trainer Bob Baffert, with back-to-back bullet workouts Oct. 18 (five furlongs in :59 2/5) and Oct. 12 (four furlongs in :46 1/5).

BALAN: Dortmund Sidelined With Bruised Ribs



In to challenge in the six-horse field are graded stakes-placed runners Cat Burglar (also trained by Baffert), Motown Men, Soi Phet, and Mystery Train, along with stakes winner Point Piper. But none can match the class of Dortmund, who won four straight graded events—including the Los Alamitos Futurity (gr. I) and Santa Anita Derby (gr. I)—before finishing third in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands and fourth in the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (gr. I).

BALAN: Dortmund Unrelenting in Santa Anita Derby



The most recent winner in the field is Point Piper, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, who took the Harry F. Brubaker Stakes at Del Mar Aug. 26 before a fifth-place finish in the Awesome Again (gr. I). Mystery Train, trained by Darrell Vienna, also has a stakes win two starts back in the Evangeline Mile Stakes June 6.



Soi Phet last won the Los Alamitos Mile in 2014, nine starts back, and was second last time out in the E.B. Johnston Stakes at Los Alamitos Race Course. Motown Men finished fifth in the E.B. Johnston Stakes, third in the Brubaker, and won an allowance/optional claiming event three starts back at Del Mar.