Bertrando (USA)
February 18, 1989 – March 27, 2014
Skywalker (USA) x Gentle Hands (USA), by Buffalo Lark (USA)
Family 4-r
February 18, 1989 – March 27, 2014
Skywalker (USA) x Gentle Hands (USA), by Buffalo Lark (USA)
Family 4-r
Bertrando was limited by his one-dimensional front-running style, but he had plenty of speed and the courage to go with it when hooked. He also had his share of misfortune, missing most of his 3-year-old season due to illness and becoming the first horse to run second in two different Breeders’ Cup events after Arazi and Arcangues ran the best races of their careers to down him in the 1991 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (USA-G1) and 1993 Breeders’ Cup Classic (USA-G1), respectively. He was a useful regional sire in California.
Race record
24 starts, 9 wins, 6 seconds, 2 thirds, US$3,185,610
1991:
1992:
1993:
1994:
Honors
Assessments
Rated at 125 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juvenile males of 1991, 5 pounds below champion Arazi but second overall.
Rated at 123 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1992, 4 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year A.P. Indy but third overall.
Rated at 125 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1993, 1 pound above second-rated Best Pal.
Rated at 116 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1994, 7 pounds below highweighted Colonial Affair and 6 pounds below The Wicked North (the official divisional champion).
As an individual
A lengthy dark bay or brown horse standing 16.2 hands, Bertrando had an excellent shoulder and powerful hindquarters but did not have the best of knees. He was very quick out of the gate and could not be taken off the lead, although he would rate along well if not pressured and was not speed-crazy. He loved off going and moved up markedly in the slop from his fast-track form. As a racehorse, he was honest and courageous and was probably best at 9 furlongs. A respiratory virus kept him on the sidelines for most of his 3-year-old season, and he never regained quite the same form after undergoing surgery for a knee chip after his 4-year-old season. Those who knew him well described him as being highly intelligent and quick to learn. As a stallion, he was characterized as “happy” and “a gentleman.”
As a stallion
According to The Blood-Horse, Bertrando led the California state sire list in 2005 and 2007. Records maintained by The Jockey Club credit him with 586 winners (51.5%) and 53 stakes winners (4.7%) from 1137 named foals.
Notable progeny
Bilo (USA), Karelian (USA), Officer (USA), Tamarando (USA), Unfurl the Flag (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Midnight Storm (USA), Silent Sighs (USA), Unrivaled Belle (USA)
Connections
Bred in California by Ed Nahem, Bertrando began his racing career for the partnership of Nahem, 505 Farms (Marshall Naify), and 15-year-old Gus Headley, the son of the colt’s trainer Bruce Headley; after his second race, Gus Headley was bought out by the other partners. Late in his 3-year-old year, he was moved to the barn of Bobby Frankel. Bertrando entered stud permanently in California in 1996 at River Edge Farm and stood there for his entire stud career except in 2011 when he stood at Ballena Vista Farm. He was pensioned in 2011 and returned to River Edge Farm, where he died of natural causes in March 27, 2014.
Pedigree notes
Sired by 1986 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Skywalker, Bertrando is inbred 5x5 to five-time American champion sire Nasrullah and to 1943 American Horse of the Year Count Fleet. He is out of Gentle Hands (by multiple Grade 2 winner Buffalo Lark, by T. V. Lark), a winning half sister to stakes winner Gift of the Magi (by Gold and Myrrh).
Gentle Hands, in turn, is out of stakes-placed Three Red Bells (by 1964 Queens County Handicap winner Third Martini, by Hasty Road), whose full sister Red Shoes became a multiple stakes winner before becoming the dam of stakes winner Worthy Too (by Twice Worthy) and the second dam of Grade 2 winners Judy’s Red Shoes and Three Engines. The next dam in Bertrando’s tail-female line, 1963 Colonial Handicap winner Red Shoes (by the useful Count Fleet horse Beau Gar) is a full sister to stakes-placed Little Red Shoes, second dam of Grade 2 winner Raise Heck), and is a half sister to Ginger Bout (by Roman Bout), dam of multiple stakes winner Hot Zam (by Nizami).
Fun facts
Last updated: November 10, 2024
Race record
24 starts, 9 wins, 6 seconds, 2 thirds, US$3,185,610
1991:
- Won Norfolk Stakes (USA-G1, 8.5FD, Santa Anita)
- Won Del Mar Futurity (USA-G2, 7FD, Del Mar)
- 2nd Breeders' Cup Juvenile (USA-G1, 8.5FD, Churchill Downs)
1992:
- Won San Felipe Stakes (USA-G2, 8.5FD, Santa Anita)
- 2nd Santa Anita Derby (USA-G1, 9FD, Santa Anita)
- 3rd Malibu Stakes (USA-G2, 7FD, Santa Anita)
1993:
- Won Pacific Classic Stakes (USA-G1, 10FD, Del Mar; new track record 1:59-2/5)
- Won Woodward Stakes (USA-G1, 9FD, Belmont)
- Won San Fernando Stakes (USA-G2, 9FD, Santa Anita)
- 2nd Breeders' Cup Classic (USA-G1, 10FD, Santa Anita)
- 2nd Hollywood Gold Cup Handcap (USA-G1, 10FD, Hollywood)
- 2nd Metropolitan Handicap (USA-G1, 8FD, Belmont)
- 2nd Charles H. Strub Stakes (USA-G1, 10FD, Santa Anita)
- 3rd Philip H. Iselin Handicap (USA-G1, 9FD, Monmouth)
1994:
- Won Goodwood Handicap (USA-G2, 9FD, Santa Anita)
- Won Wickerr Stakes (USA-R, 8FT, Del Mar)
Honors
- Eclipse Award, American champion older male (1993)
- California-bred Horse of the Year (1993)
- California-bred champion 2-year-old male (1991)
- California-bred champion 3-year-old male (1992)
- California-bred champion older male (1993)
Assessments
Rated at 125 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juvenile males of 1991, 5 pounds below champion Arazi but second overall.
Rated at 123 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1992, 4 pounds below divisional champion and Horse of the Year A.P. Indy but third overall.
Rated at 125 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1993, 1 pound above second-rated Best Pal.
Rated at 116 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1994, 7 pounds below highweighted Colonial Affair and 6 pounds below The Wicked North (the official divisional champion).
As an individual
A lengthy dark bay or brown horse standing 16.2 hands, Bertrando had an excellent shoulder and powerful hindquarters but did not have the best of knees. He was very quick out of the gate and could not be taken off the lead, although he would rate along well if not pressured and was not speed-crazy. He loved off going and moved up markedly in the slop from his fast-track form. As a racehorse, he was honest and courageous and was probably best at 9 furlongs. A respiratory virus kept him on the sidelines for most of his 3-year-old season, and he never regained quite the same form after undergoing surgery for a knee chip after his 4-year-old season. Those who knew him well described him as being highly intelligent and quick to learn. As a stallion, he was characterized as “happy” and “a gentleman.”
As a stallion
According to The Blood-Horse, Bertrando led the California state sire list in 2005 and 2007. Records maintained by The Jockey Club credit him with 586 winners (51.5%) and 53 stakes winners (4.7%) from 1137 named foals.
Notable progeny
Bilo (USA), Karelian (USA), Officer (USA), Tamarando (USA), Unfurl the Flag (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
Midnight Storm (USA), Silent Sighs (USA), Unrivaled Belle (USA)
Connections
Bred in California by Ed Nahem, Bertrando began his racing career for the partnership of Nahem, 505 Farms (Marshall Naify), and 15-year-old Gus Headley, the son of the colt’s trainer Bruce Headley; after his second race, Gus Headley was bought out by the other partners. Late in his 3-year-old year, he was moved to the barn of Bobby Frankel. Bertrando entered stud permanently in California in 1996 at River Edge Farm and stood there for his entire stud career except in 2011 when he stood at Ballena Vista Farm. He was pensioned in 2011 and returned to River Edge Farm, where he died of natural causes in March 27, 2014.
Pedigree notes
Sired by 1986 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Skywalker, Bertrando is inbred 5x5 to five-time American champion sire Nasrullah and to 1943 American Horse of the Year Count Fleet. He is out of Gentle Hands (by multiple Grade 2 winner Buffalo Lark, by T. V. Lark), a winning half sister to stakes winner Gift of the Magi (by Gold and Myrrh).
Gentle Hands, in turn, is out of stakes-placed Three Red Bells (by 1964 Queens County Handicap winner Third Martini, by Hasty Road), whose full sister Red Shoes became a multiple stakes winner before becoming the dam of stakes winner Worthy Too (by Twice Worthy) and the second dam of Grade 2 winners Judy’s Red Shoes and Three Engines. The next dam in Bertrando’s tail-female line, 1963 Colonial Handicap winner Red Shoes (by the useful Count Fleet horse Beau Gar) is a full sister to stakes-placed Little Red Shoes, second dam of Grade 2 winner Raise Heck), and is a half sister to Ginger Bout (by Roman Bout), dam of multiple stakes winner Hot Zam (by Nizami).
Fun facts
- Bertrando was named for Bertrand Hug, proprietor of the Mille Fleur restaurant in San Diego County.
- Bertrando’s bankroll of $2,217,800 for 1993 was a single-season record for a California-bred.
- Following his knee surgery, Bertrando served a season at stud as a 5-year-old (remaining in light training while in breeding service) before returning to the races. Bobby Frankel refused to take the horse back into his barn after his having been used for breeding, and Bertrando was trained afterward by John Shirreffs.
- In 1999, Bertrando was stricken by a rare liver disease and had to undergo surgery to remove gallstones; a second such surgery took place in December 2003. The case was closely watched in veterinary medical annals due to the rarity of such disease in horses.
- The Bertrando Stakes is a race for California-bred horses aged 3 and up at Los Alamitos.
Last updated: November 10, 2024