Boozer wins Bertrando; San Onofre takes Los Angeles Stakes
LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. (AP) Boozer won the $100,345 Bertrando Stakes by a half-length and San Onofre took the $100,000 Los Angeles Stakes by a length, giving jockey Edwin Maldonado a sweep at Los Alamitos on Saturday.
In the Bertrando, Boozer won for the first time on dirt in only his second start on the surface for trainer Mark Glatt. The 3-1 third choice ran a mile in 1:34.73 and paid $8, $3.60 and $2.40.
Soi Phet, the 2014 winner, returned $2.80 and $2.20 as the 3-2 favorite. Avanti Bello was another four lengths back in third and paid $2.80 to show.
Boozer increased his career earnings to $538,792, with seven wins in 22 starts for the 6-year-old gelding.
''I was getting a little nervous in the stretch, but he's a gamer,'' Glatt said. ''(Maldonado) said (Boozer) was lollygagging a bit when he opened up in the stretch, but he said he knew (Soi Phet) was coming, so he angled the horse out and turned his head so he could see him coming and he was able to hold on.''
In the Los Angeles, San Onofre ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.04 and paid $7.40, $3 and $2.40 as the 5-2 second choice.
Wild Dude returned $2.40 and $2.10 as the 11-10 favorite, while Raised a Secret was another half-length back in third and paid $2.80 to show.
San Onofre increased his career earnings to $402,385, with six wins in 13 starts.
Maldonado won the Los Angeles for the fourth time at three different tracks. He won at Hollywood Park with Comma to the Top in 2013 and then at Santa Anita with Cyclometer in 2014 and Distinctiv Passion last year.
The 34-year-old rider is one away from tying Don Pierce's record of five Los Angeles wins from 1969-73 at Hollywood Park.
''I didn't even know about it going in,'' Maldonado said. ''I just hope we can keep it going.''