By DRF.com and Los Alamitos Publicity
CYPRESS, Calif. (June 20, 2024) — There has already been a major bet associated with Cowboy Mike’s appearance in Saturday’s $100,000 Bertrando Stakes for California-bred milers on the opening day of the Los Alamitos summer meeting.
Earlier this week, Cowboy Mike was supplemented to the Golden State Series of stakes for statebreds for $25,000, a prerequisite for a start in the Bertrando. The expensive fee makes the 4-year-old Cowboy Mike eligible for the statewide series for the remainder of his career.
“We took a gamble,” trainer Bob Baffert said.
The idea for the supplemental nomination was discussed in 2023 by Baffert and owner-breeder Connie Pageler. The presence of The Chosen Vron in many of the leading stakes for statebreds last year prevented the investment.
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“We were going to do it as a 3-year-old,” Baffert said. “He was going to be running against The Chosen Vron. We didn’t think that would pay out.”
The Chosen Vron has won 10 stakes for statebreds, and 13 overall, just in the last two years. The 2023 California-bred horse of the year, The Chosen Vron was nominated for the Bertrando, but was held out of the race in favor of the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes at six furlongs on July 27 at Del Mar. The Chosen Vron won the 2023 Bing Crosby Stakes.
The hefty supplemental fee for the Bertrando is only $7,000 less than what Cowboy Mike could have been claimed for in the gelding’s first start of the year. Cowboy Mike won the one-mile $32,000 claimer by six lengths on March 4 at Santa Anita.
Cowboy Mike has since won and finished second by a neck in allowance races around two turns at Santa Anita. An earner of $204,494 in 11 races, the 4-year-old Smiling Tiger gelding out of the Maria’s Mon mare Lutess has won two of three in 2024 with his loss coming by a neck as the 1-2 favorite in an optional claimer May 4 at Santa Anita.
“Hopefully, he’ll run well,” Baffert said. “There are not too many spots for him.”
The Bertrando Stakes drew a field of six and is the final race on a nine-race program that begins at 1 p.m. Pacific.
Nick Alexander bred three of Cowboy Mikes opponents, and owns two, Lovesick Blues and Tom Horn, both trained by Steve Miyadi.
Lovesick Blues, second in the 2023 Bertrando Stakes, is winless in 12 starts since an allowance race at Santa Anita in May 2023. A 6-year-old gelding, Lovesick Blues has been second or third in his last four starts, all sprints. The sequence includes a game second by a head in the Sensational Star Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in March.
Tom Horn, a winner of 4 of 9 starts, will race at a mile for the first time in the Bertrando. Tom Horn was the sharp winner of a six-furlong allowance race for statebreds on June 9 at Santa Anita. A 4-year-old colt, Tom Horn may set the pace in the Bertrando.
Dick Best, Dont Fight the Fed, and None Above the Law are the other three runners.
Dick Best, another Alexander-bred who won a $4,000 claimer at Golden Gate Fields in 2023, won a one-mile allowance race for statebreds by 5 1/2 lengths on June 2 at Santa Anita. He is another runner who will race forwardly in the Bertrando.
A dominant gate-to-wire winner at one mile June 2 in Arcadia, Dick Best will make his local debut for owner Melvin Simonovich and trainer Librado Barocio.
A gelded son of Stanford and the Grazen mare Sadie Clare bred by Alexander, the 5-year-old has won seven of 25 while earning $144,130. Three of his wins have come in six main track appearances and he’s been worse than third only once on dirt.
None Above the Law, a four-time stakes winner in 2021, will be a longshot. Bred by J. Kirk and Judy Robison, he is winless in 19 starts since an upset victory in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby in 2021.
None Above the Law was claimed for $50,000 at Santa Anita in February and is now based with Jorge Periban. None Above the Law was seventh by 3 3/4 lengths in the Crystal Water Stakes for statebred milers on turf on May 25 at Santa Anita.
The 6-year-old gray son of Karakontie and the Northern Afleet mare Legally Blanca is 6-for-33 lifetime with earnings of $573,802. One of his wins came in his career debut at Los Alamitos.
Dont Fight the Fed poses a threat as a stalker in his stakes debut. Owned by breeder J. Paul Reddam’s Reddam Racing LLC and trained by Antonio Garcia, Dont Fight the Fed will be making his Los Alamitos debut.
A Nyquist colt out of the Scat Daddy mare Taffeta, the 4-year-old returns to the dirt after finishing second, defeated by a neck by Red Cross Knight at the Bertrando distance on turf May 19. Dont Fight the Fed has won twice – both at eight furlongs – in seven appearances and banked $124,980.
The Bertrando is the first of three stakes during the three-week Los Alamitos meeting, which runs through July 7.
The leading race of the meeting is the Grade 2 Great Lady M. Stakes, a $200,000 race at 6 1/2 furlongs for fillies and mares on July 7. The $100,000 Los Alamitos Derby at 1 1/8 miles will be run June 29.
The Bertrando helps kick off the first of three daytime thoroughbred meets this year at Los Alamitos. The eight-day Los Angeles County Fair season will continue through Sunday, July 7. Racing will be conducted Saturday-Sunday (June 22-23 and June 29-30) the first two weeks and Saturday-Thursday (July 4-7) the final week Post time is 1 p.m.
The highlight of the meet will be the $200,000-guaranteed Great Lady M. Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs. The Grade II for fillies and mares (3-year-olds & up) will be run Saturday, July 6.
The wagering menu includes the $2 Pick Six – with the traditional 70-30 split – a pair of $1 Pick 4’s – races 2-5 and the final four races – as well as the popular Players’ Pick 5 – a 50-cent minimum wager with a reduced 14% takeout rate which is offered on the first five races.
The Los Alamitos Racing Association will also seed the Pick Six with $10,000 Saturday, June 29 and Saturday, July 6 provided there is no carryover.
There will also be a handicapping contest Saturday, July 6. The LARA will offer a cash prize and a pair of berths to the 2025 National Thoroughbred Racing Handicapping Championship in Las Vegas.
Cost to enter is $500. Of that amount, $100 will be placed in the contest prize pool with the remaining $400 going towards a live money wagering card.
Tournament races will include the entire Los Alamitos card. Permitted wagers are win, place, show, exactas, trifectas and daily doubles. Each entry must bet at least $50 on a minimum of four races, but there is no wagering limit.