None Above the Law goes last to first in Bertrando Stakes upset

CYPRESS, Calif. - None Above the Law showed a glimmer of the form that made him a four-time stakes winner in 2021 with an upset victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Bertrando Stakes for California-bred milers at Los Alamitos.

Ridden by Antonio Fresu, None Above the Law rallied from last of four in the final quarter-mile to win by three-quarters of a length over 9-5 Lovesick Blues.

Dont Fight the Fed (3-1) and 9-10 favorite Cowboy Mike dueled through a solid half-mile in 46.16 seconds before fading to finish third and last.

None Above the Law ($20) ran a mile in 1:35.76 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 90.

None Above the Law was as far as 4 1/2 lengths behind Dont Fight the Fed after an opening quarter-mile, a situation Fresu said favored his mount.

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“There was a lot of pace,” he said. “I sat on him. I started making ground on the backstretch.”

None Above the Law was last turning into the long stretch when Fresu moved the gelding to the outside of his three rivals.

“When I pulled him out, he showed his class,” Fresu said.

A 6-year-old gelding, None Above the Law ended a 19-race losing streak on Saturday dating to the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby in 2021. A winner of 7 of 34 starts, None Above the Law has earned $637,802.

By Karakontie, None Above the Law was claimed by current owner Hector Castrellon and trainer Jorge Periban for $50,000 at Santa Anita on Feb. 24. None Above the Law started in three starts through the spring, with his best result in that span a last-place finish of four in the Grade 3 Californian Stakes on April 20.

Since being claimed, None Above the Law has earned $67,000.

The field was reduced to four after the morning scratch of Tom Horn and the late withdrawal of Dick Best by track stewards with less than an hour to post.

Cowboy Mike was supplemented to the Bertrando Stakes for $25,000 when entries were taken on Tuesday. With the hefty nomination, Cowboy Mike is eligible to the Golden State Stakes series throughout the state for the rest of his career.

Cowboy Mike, who is trained by Bob Baffert, earned $7,000 in the Bertrando.

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