CYPRESS — Scenes shift and seasons go by. Kings River Knight remains the same irresistible force.
In the first stakes race of Los Alamitos’ early-summer thoroughbred meet, the 7-year-old gelding faced a rare battle down the stretch but responded to jockey Juan Hernandez and outclassed Mr. Disrespectful late to win the $100,000 Bertrando Stakes for California-breds on Saturday.
After winning the Crystal Water Stakes at Santa Anita for the third year in a row last month, Kings River Knight won the Bertrando for the second time in as many tries. He won for the seventh consecutive time in 1-mile races on dirt and turf, and ran his record on the Los Al dirt to 3 for 3. He’s 12 for 19 overall since debuting at Pleasanton in June 2022.
The 1¼-length win (which paid $2.60) wasn’t as dominating and the 1:35.90 clocking wasn’t as fast as in Kings River Knight’s previous Bertrando victory in 2023, but Hernandez said the John Shirreffs-trained horse feels the same as when he became his regular rider two years ago.
“I don’t feel any difference,” Hernandez said after weighing in after the race. “He’s a really professional horse. He has a big heart and he loves to run.”
Kings River Knight, who usually leads from start to finish, was first out of the gate from the outside post in a field of seven but was outrun onto the backstretch by Mr. Disrespectful and Hector Berrios, who opened a one-length advantage. Hernandez began to urge Kings River Knight going into the far turn.
“He’s usually push-button, but around the turn he wasn’t quite focused,” Hernandez said of the son of Acclamation. “Once we hit the stretch, he switched (lead legs) and knew it was time to race, and took off.”
Mr. Disrespectful finished a length ahead of third-place Rodrigoknows and Kyle Frey.
“This horse usually shows (early) speed, and today he didn’t have as much as he usually does,” assistant trainer Juan Leyva said. “But he pulled through and won on all heart.”
Leyva said Kings River Knight will be pointed for the $150,000 California Dreamin’ Stakes, at 1 1/16 miles on the Del Mar turf, for his next start on Aug. 2. The Crystal Water, Bertrando, California Dreamin’ sequence will be a repeat of 2023.
“I like him a lot,” Hernandez said. “Hopefully, we can win more races with him.”
Antonio Fresu, leading jockey at Santa Anita’s recent Hollywood Meet, and Edwin Maldonado, all-time leading rider at these Los Alamitos daytime thoroughbred meets, are off to fast starts with three wins apiece Friday and Saturday.
Doug O’Neill is on top of the trainer standings with three victories.