Soi Phet beat Spirit Rules by 3-3/4 lengths to win the $101,000 Bertrando Stakes on Thursday on the opening day of Los Alamitos' thoroughbred meet.
Los Alamitos picked up racing dates for a thoroughbred meet because Hollywood Park closed last December. The opening day crowd was 5,702 with a total of $531,609 wagered on the eight-race card at the Orange County track.
Ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux, Soi Phet ran a mile in 1:34.50 and paid $24 at 11-1 odds.
Runner-up Spirit Rules went off at 10-1 odds. Rock Me Baby was another 1-1/2 lengths back in third.
Storm Fighter, the 3-2 favorite, finished eighth in the nine-horse field.
Trained by Leonard Powell, Soi Phet earned his first win on dirt, snapping an eight-race skid on the surface. The 6-year-old gelding angled out for clear sailing in the stretch and overtook Spirit Rules with about an eighth of a mile to go.
The victory, worth $60,000, increased Soi Phet's career earnings to $352,436, with six wins in 11 starts since being claimed by his current owners for $16,000 last May at now-closed Betfair Hollywood Park. Overall, Soi Phet has seven wins in 27 career starts.
