Kings River Knight could be controlling speed in Bertrando Stakes
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The next winner Juan Hernandez rides will be his 100th victory of 2023. The milestone can easily occur on Kings River Knight in Saturday’s $100,000 Bertrando Stakes at a mile at Los Alamitos.
Hernandez was the leading rider at the Santa Anita winter and spring meetings that ended last Sunday. Kings River Knight is his first mount of the Los Alamitos meeting that began Friday.
Kings River Knight was part of Hernandez’s success at Santa Anita with a win in the Crystal Water Stakes for California-breds at a mile on turf as the 4-5 favorite on May 28. The Bertrando Stakes, also for statebreds, will be Kings River Knight’s stakes debut on dirt and his second start on the surface.
A 5-year-old gelding, Kings River Knight was second in a maiden race for sprinters last summer at Pleasanton in his career debut when trained by Andy Mathis. Kings River Knight has worked quickly on dirt at Santa Anita in recent weeks.
Trained by John Sadler for the partnership of the family of the late Bud Johnston, Integrity Thoroughbred Racing, and Kenneth Tevelde, Kings River Knight led throughout the Crystal Water Stakes, a strategy that developed when the race began.
“I was on the lead because there was no speed,” Hernandez said. “He broke really sharp and I let him go.”
Hernandez said he would not hesitate to put Kings River Knight on the front in the Bertrando, depending on how the race unfolds early.
“In his races before, he came from behind,” Hernandez said. “I’ll try to get a clean break and if someone wants to go to the lead, I’ll give it to them and let my horse relax and make one move. If no one wants to go, I can take the lead.”
The Bertrando, the final race on a nine-race program, drew a field of six that includes None Above the Law, winner of the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby in 2021 and three other stakes that year; Desmond Doss, who has won the last two runnings of the Bertrando Stakes; and Coalinga Road, who won the $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic at Santa Anita in January and was second in the Crystal Water Stakes.
Desmond Doss, trained by Steve Miyadi for owner and breeder Nick Alexander, was third in the Grade 2 Triple Bend Stakes at seven furlongs on May 27 at Santa Anita. Alexander and Miyadi also start Lovesick Blues, who was third by a neck in the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes on the hillside turf course on May 27 at Santa Anita.
None Above the Law, trained by Peter Miller, was fifth in the Crystal Water Stakes in his first start since November. None Above the Law is winless in nine starts since the Del Mar Derby in September 2021 and should benefit from the recent start, Miller said.
“I think he’s better on dirt and I think he needed his first race,” Miller said.
“He seems to be training like his old self. We’re hopeful he can get back to form. If he does, he’ll be tough.”
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