Horse Racing Saturday: Back to Los Alamitos
Louie Rabaut
Host · Writer
The Southern California circuit takes its annual trip to Cypress for the Los Angeles County Meet. These will be the first exclusively thoroughbred race cards at Los Alamitos this year, as the typical Saturday and Sunday cards are mixed with quarter horse racing.
The Los Angeles County Fair Meet is now held in Orange County, following racing’s new tradition of running inaptly named races and meets (they run the Arlington Million in Virginia, people). All jokes aside, Los Al fills an important role in the Southern California racing ecosystem, giving Santa Anita some much needed rest after a long meet, and filling those dates before Del Mar has access to its race dates.
The Bertrando Stakes is the feature and nightcap today, a 1 mile dirt race for California-bred horses. Bertrando was one of the most accomplished California-bred horses of the 1990s, winner of a graded stakes at age 2, 3, 4, and 5, including a trio of Grade 1 wins. Trained by the late John Shirreffs and ridden by Hall of Famer Gary Stevens, he won 9 races in his career, with 7 of those wins in Grade 1s or 2s. His resume is the kind that lands the connections in the Hall of Fame.
A 4-year-old Bertando made the trip to Belmont Park for the Grade 1 Woodward in 1993. The track was a sloppy mess, with track announcer Tom Durkin suggesting the day be called “Soupy Saturday,” a play on the “Super Saturday” moniker NYRA was using at the time. Here’s Tom Durkin’s call of Bertrando’s win in the 1993 Woodward.
Let’s meet the field, and put together our weekly wager. If you’re wagering on Los Alamitos, check out AmWager! They have a $50 deposit match for new customers.
The Bertrando. 1M, dirt. Cal-breds 3+up. $100,000.
1. Speedy Wilson. 3/1. Jockey: Ricardo Gonzalez. Trainer: Phil D’Amato.
Speedy Wilson has shown some good flashes throughout his career – including last out, where he matched the best speed figure of his career – but all of those have come around one turn. Trainer Phil D’Amato tried him in the Grade 1 Malibu last year, where he finished a solid 3rd in a solid field. I’ll let him beat me here, as I think the two turns and long stretch at Los Al will catch up with him today.
2. Whiskeyginandbrandy. 15/1. Jockey: Tiago Pereira. Trainer: Steve Knapp.
Whiskeyginandbrandy is the most likely long-shot winner in this race, given his win in last year’s Cal Cup Derby, and win at the distance against winners in February at Santa Anita Park. Jockey Tiago Pereira has been aboard for his two best races, and gets the mount again today. If you’re looking for the rare LRC jockey/ trainer combo, Pereira and Knapp hit at 29% together.
3. Barely Functional. 15/1. Jockey: Kyle Frey. Trainer: Antonio Garcia.
The other longshot in the field, Barely Functional has won 4 races lifetime in 29 attempts, living up to his name (sorry, had to). Trainer Antonio Garcia will have to do something he hasn’t done: win a stakes race. This group at least gives him a shot.
4. Shea Brennan. 2/1. Jockey: Armando Ayuso. Trainer: Phil D’Amato.
The other Phil D’Amato trainee in the race is Shea Brennan, whose last race came at Del Mar in November. He crossed the line first in the aforementioned Cal Cup Derby, only to be DQ’d. He has shown well over both dirt and turf, which will play well over a Los Alamitos surface that plays to both types of runners. I think he’s very live today, and may contribute to an eventual riding title for jockey Armando Ayuso.
5. Coach Cronin. 9/5. Jockey: Mike Smith. Trainer: Robert Hess.
Coach Cronin, named for the UCLA headman, is your likely posttime favorite. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith’s only mount of the day, he exits a win over the mile course at Santa Anita against open company. He won his previous two Cal-bred races, and is well-suited for this company. Trainer Bob Hess hits at a solid 16% in stakes company, and could very well add to that number today.
6. None Above The Law. 4/1. Jockey: Joel Rosario Trainer: Peter Miller.
There was a bit of scuttle when jockey Joel Rosario announced he was taking his tack west to the Southern California circuit, with some wondering if he’d stick out meets like this one. He’s named on 5 horses today and 6 tomorrow at Los Alamitos, showing his desire to grow relationships out west. Since joining trainer Peter Miller’s barn, he’s been exclusively a turf horse; Miller has moved many horses to the Los Al dirt from turf over the years, and I expect him to run well today. I’ll bet him as my winner, given the odds.
The Sporting Tribune Wager
$3 Late Pick 3, Starts Race 7 ($36): 5,6 / 1,4 / 4,5,6. Good Luck!
