Bertrando Stakes
$100.00 – For Three Year Olds And Upward Foaled In CA
1 Mile – Dirt
Los Alamitos – June 20, 2026

Nine horses bred in the state of California will enter the starting gate on Saturday hoping to become the winner of the tenth edition of the Bertrando Stakes at Los Alamitos. The stakes record was set last year when Good Guy (Arindel) came down the long Los Al stretch and stopped the clock at 1:34.46. The nine names that passed through the entry box are an interesting group and this will be a fun one to watch because there are so many unknowns and variables in the field. 

1. Mr Cockypants (La Canada Racehorses/E. Maldonado) He is a graded stakes winner who had a couple of good allowance tighteners after a disappointing seasonal debut in the G3 Hooper where he finished a fading twelfth at today’s mile distance. He was back in stakes competition last time out in the CA bred Thors Echo where he finished a near miss second and was closing suggesting the stretch back out to a mile may benefit. 

2. Championship Party (High Voltage/K. Frey) He has not seen stakes competition since 2024 when he finished eighth in the Sapling at Monmouth as a two year old maiden. He is now four. He broke his maiden in his last race and his tenth lifetime start. That was also the first time he broke ninety on the SRF speed figure scale. He comes back from that maiden win in a CA bred stakes which seems like a tough spot. 

3. Wizardly (Barcelona Farms/K. Kimura) He is the only three year old in the field and he comes off of his initial stakes win in the Tall Stack Stakes at Belterra Park last out. He has a good effort over this track having finished second in the G2 LA Futurity here last December as a two year old. He has talent and comes in with a new combination of adds (Bbs for the first time currently listed) for the fourth race in a row so he is very much figuring things in the early stages of his career. 

4. Scrupulous (Mo Mentum Farm/C. Figueroa) He was sold at auction as a two year old for $76.00 and then was purchased back into his breeder’s barn for $175.00 this March. He has since made three solid starts for his new/old connections but has not managed to hit the winner’s circle. He produced good mid 90s speed figures in those three races and his trainer is encouraged enough to give him a stakes run today. 

5. Transformer (The Sidley Stud/A. Ayuso) He was claimed for $10.00 in February and has made two good starts for his new barn. He has a close third and a win against lesser competition but those two starts yielded career high SRF speed figures. He was graded stakes placed as a two year old and the new barn has found success removing the blinkers. Seems ambitiously placed but has the aura of a dark horse contender.

6. Rocket Bizz (Luz International/K.J. Desormeaux) He was claimed for $20.00 at the end of April and made his debut for his new barn a winning one when he was victorious in a conditional allowance. That win was encouraging enough for him to come back and make his stakes debut now three weeks later. He has twenty two lifetime starts and has only failed off the board three times. Yes, those races were against lesser competition but you have to respect the competitiveness. Another intriguing entrant in a new barn getting a class test. 

7. The Big Revolt (Serenity Stables/H.I. Berrios) He has changed hands twice in his last two starts. He was claimed for $40.00 in December and then was claimed for $40.00 when he resurfaced in May when he broke his maiden by four lengths. Lightly raced five year old is working fast and looks ready to run a good race. 

8. Relinquish (Bears Stable/J. Laprida) He is a graded stakes winner but that was two years ago. He has been running well and consistently hitting the board in allowance company. His lone win this year was at this mile distance. Stepping back up in class and is seeking his tenth career win. 

9. Twin Jet Engines (Night Rider Stables/B. Pena) Yet another contender who has switched barns a couple of times in recent history. He was claimed for $8.00 in November and then was claimed for $16.00 in his next start. He has since made two starts for Night Rider Stables where he has finished second in an allowance and third last time out in the G3 Essex Handicap where he earned a career high 100 SRF. He has a stakes win on his resume and seems to be in the best form of his career as a seven year old. 

This race has no standout and is full of horses in new barns, making stakes debuts, changing adds, getting class tested etc… Throw a dart. Mr Cockypants on the inside is the most accomplished in the field and the one who has consistently competed at the higher class levels. Successfully. He is the most likely winner so he will be the boring pick. A sexier and braver pick would be the three year old Wizardly but I will make him second choice followed by Twin Jet Engines and The Big Revolt. 

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded