Del Mar: Desormeaux wins with 14-1 Order and Law in Cougar II

Veteran ridgling Order and Law proved best by 2 1/4 lengths under veteran rider Kent Desormeaux and paid off at 14-1 in capturing Sunday’s Grade 3, $126,000 Cougar II Stakes covering 1 1/2 miles at Del Mar.

The 7-year-old trained by Bob Hess Jr. ran the 12 furlongs in 2:32.35 and pulled away late to turn back six rivals in the 72nd edition of the stakes.

Click here for Del Mar entries and results.

“He galloped,” said Desormeaux, a three-time winner of the Cougar II. “I don’t mean he was galloping. He galloped. He won this one easy. No special instructions from Bob. 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.”

Desormeaux has 88 stakes wins at Del Mar, ninth most among all riders.

After setting early fractions of 24.86, 45.59, 1:14.80 and 1:40.20 on the fast, main track, Azul Coast (7-2) finished second. He was 3 1/4 lengths ahead of third-place Bye Bye Bobby (7-2), who led through 1 1/4 miles clocked at 2:05.68. After stalking four-wide for most of the race, Order and Law dug in and took the lead with an eighth of a mile to go.

“He does tend to hang a touch,” said Hess, a first-time winner in the Cougar II. “By the eighth pole I thought we were golden, but you never know until the wire. Thank you, Kent Desormeaux. (Order and Law) 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.”

Order and Law paid $31.60, $12.80 and $5.20; Azul Coast $6.60 and $4; and Bye Bye Bobby $3.80.

A son of Violence making his 42nd start, Order and Law won for the eighth time and added $75,000 to increase his earnings to $456,804. He is owned by Larry Buckendorf, Jeff Lambert, Lawrence Rodriguez, Paul Schneider, Peter Stotland and Matthew White.