Desert Law cruises to victory in Thor's Echo

ARCADIA, Calif. – A little more than two hours after he won the 4,000th race of his career in North America, jockey Rafael Bejarano won his first stakes at Santa Anita in two months on Desert Law in the $100,351 Thor’s Echo Stakes for California-bred sprinters.

Sent off favored, Desert Law ($5.40) was always well placed in the race, stalking pacesetter Smiling Angelo before taking the lead on the turn.

Desert Law pulled clear to win the six-furlong race by 6 1/4 lengths in 1:09.49. He earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 100.

“I’ve been working this horse the last few weeks,” Bejarano said. “He’s been training amazing.

“He had a dream trip and broke beautifully. I put him close. It was a good pace for him. I made a little move at the three-eighths pole and I felt I had a lot of horse.”

Coil Me Home (9-5) closed from last in the field of six to finish second, 4 3/4 lengths in front of 7-2 Smiling Angelo.

Smokey Image, Fire When Ready, and Tap the Wire completed the order of finish.

Desert Law was supplemented to the Thor’s Echo for $25,000 when entries were taken last Sunday, a fee that makes the 5-year-old gelding eligible to the year-round Golden State Stakes series for statebreds.

Owned by Harris Farms, Desert Law had his stakes debut and his 15th career start in the Thor’s Echo Stakes. Desert Law was fourth in an allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option against open company at 6 1/2 furlongs on May 11 in his first start in nearly 11 months.

Bejarano rode Desert Law in his first start this year.

In the Thor’s Echo Stakes, Smiling Angelo set early fractions of 22.15 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.13 for a half-mile before conceding the lead.

Desert Law has won five races and earned $259,707.

Bejarano, 36, began the day with 3,998 career wins in North America and won the third and fourth races to achieve the milestone. The Thor’s Echo Stakes was the day’s eighth race.