Cowboy Mike's connections take big gamble in Bertrando

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 Betrando. 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.

“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.

Owner-breeder Nick Alexander and trainer Steve Miyadi start Lovesick Blues and Tom Horn.

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, 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.

None Above the Law, a four-time stakes winner in 2021, will be a longshot. 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.

Dont Fight the Fed poses a threat as a stalker in his stakes debut.

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.

Racing will be held only on Saturdays and Sundays for the first two weekends, followed by a four-day racing week from July 4-7.

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