Order and Law, a 14-1 outsider, struck for his first graded stakes victory Sunday at Del Mar when capturing the $125,000 Cougar II (G3) by a comfortable 2 1/4 lengths.
Under Kent Desormeaux, the 7-year-old Violence ridgling stalked the early pace from third, then fourth, before advancing to second with a quarter mile to run in the 1 1/2-mile contest. Battling four wide into the stretch outside pacesetter Azul Coast and Bye Bye Bobby, he dug in when called upon, took charge just before the eighth pole, and was unchallenged to the finish line.
Azul Coast finished second, 3 1/4 lengths in front of Bye Bye Bobby in third in the field of seven.
Favorite Kiss Today Goodbye was bumped repeatedly between rivals exiting the gate, was rank under Hector Berrios on the the first turn, and eventually trailed in last before being eased in the lane. He walked off the track.
Order and Law, who was fourth in last year's edition of the Cougar II, paid $31.60 for his unlikely victory after finishing the trip in 2:32.35 and won for the eighth time in 42 career starts. His victories include the 2018 Laurel Futurity. The $75,000 winner's share of the Cougar II purse elevated his lifetime bankroll to $456,804.
Robert B. Hess Jr. trains Order and Law for the partnership group of Larry S. Buckendorf, Jeffrey Lambert, Lawrence A. Rodriguez, Paul G. Schneider, Peter Stotland, and Matthew D. White. He was bred in Kentucky by Dell Ridge Farm LLC from the Shakespeare mare Poetic Kid.
With Sunday's win, Order and Law halted a 10-race winless stretch dating from a win in a claiming race Feb. 24 at Gulfstream Park. Two races later Hess claimed him for $62,500 out of a fifth-place finish in an allowance optional claimer May 6 at the Hallandale Beach, Fla. track and he went without success for Hess until pulling the surprise Sunday.
Cougar II (G3) Quotes:
KENT DESORMEAUX (Order and Law, winner) – “He galloped. I don't mean he was galloping. He galloped. He won this one easy. No special instructions from Bob (trainer Bob Hess, Jr.). We go back a long way. We've won a bunch of races together and I've got a great rapport with him. He just said 'Meet you in the winner's circle.”
ROBERT HESS JR. (Order and Law, winner) – “He does tend to hang a touch but by the eighth pole I thought we were golden. But you never know until the wire. Thank you, Kent Desormeaux. He loves the mile and a half, probably needs farther. I got to run back here before the end of the meet because this is his track…and my track.”
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