Santa Anita roundup: Johannes sets Eclipse bar in San Gabriel

Johannes punctuated a potential Eclipse Award-worthy season with a rallying victory under Umberto Rispoli in the Grade 2, $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes going 1 1/8 miles on turf Thursday on opening day at Santa Anita.

After getting a ground-saving trip while tracking the leaders, Johannes was swung wide for clear racing room entering the stretch and ran down both Mi Hermano Ramon (9-1) and Seal Team (6-1) to win by three-quarters of a length. It was Johannes’s fifth win in six starts this year. His only loss was a runner-up finish in last month’s Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar.

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“With a horse like him, it's not possible to panic, you know? You press the button, and in three strides you're right up there,” Rispoli said. “You just have to manage how to get to the wire, because once you get the lead, he try to wait for other horses. But you never panic with him. Once you see the daylight, he goes. It doesn't matter.”

“In my heart, he is a true champion,” Yakteen said of Johannes’s Eclipse Award candidacy. “I hope others view it that way.”

A 4-year-old colt by Nyquist, Johannes is owned by Debby and Joe McCloskey’s Cuyathy stable. His previous wins this year came in the Shoemaker Mile (G1), City of Hope Mile (G2) and American (G3), all at Santa Anita, and the Eddie Read (G2) at Del Mar. Johannes’s overall record stands at 13: 8-1-1 with $1,233,859 in earnings.

“The horse means everything to us,” Joe McCloskey said. “He’s our first foal from our broodmare Cuyathy, so it has been a heck of a ride.”

Johannes paid $2.60, $2.20 and $2.10. Mi Hermano Ramon, trained by Mark Glatt, returned $4.80 and $2.20. He was ridden by replacement jockey Luis Saez after scheduled rider Hector Berrios took off all his mounts Thursday. Seal Team, ridden by Flavien Prat for trainer Richard Mandella, paid $2.60.

According to the connections, Johannes will target the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25.

Prat sets record in Mathis Mile win

History was made in the $200,000 Mathis Mile (G2) for 3-year-olds when jockey Flavien Prat earned a record-breaking 56th graded-stakes win this year when piloting King of Gosford to a front-running victory.

Prat surpassed the previous mark of 55 graded-stakes triumphs in a calendar year set in 2003 by Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey.

“I think there couldn’t be a better place to win it than here at Santa Anita,” said Prat, 32, a native of France. “It is definitely worth all the work when something like this happens.”

Starting from the inside post, King of Gosford broke best and proceeded to set early fractions of 23.24 and 48.04 seconds while receiving outside pressure from Atitlan (8-1) and Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith. The two front-runners maintained their positions to the quarter pole, which was reached in 1:11.71.

At the top of the stretch King of Gosford edged away from Atitlan and then proved to have plenty left when holding off a late rally from Stay Hot (5-2) to win by one length.

Trained by Phil D’Amato, King of Gosford completed one mile on firm turf in 1:34.49.

“He just took advantage of a nice, comfortable pace scenario,” D’Amato said. “Flavien did a great job of nursing him along easily up front, and when it was time to kick on at the top of the lane, he showed a big turn of foot.”

Stay Hot, ridden by Juan Hernandez for trainer Peter Eurton, finished a half-length clear of Atitlan for second with Lord Bullingdon (12-1) and Umberto Rispoli rounded out the superfecta.

For King of Gosford, this was his fourth stakes win this year and first at the graded level. Most recently he won the Let It Ride Stakes going a mile on turf at Del Mar on Oct. 31. His other stakes wins, both at Santa Anita, came sprinting on the hillside turf course in the John Shear Mile in April and Desert Code Stakes in May.

Bred in England, where he made his first four starts, King of Gosford is a colt by Zoustar. He is campaigned domestically by Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Michael Nentwig, Saul Gevertz and Jeremy Peskoff.

King of Gosford upped his record to 15: 6-2-2 with $519,692. King of Gosford paid $3.40, $2.20 and $2.10 for the popular victory. Stay Hot returned $2.60 and $2.20. Atitlan, trained by John Shirreffs, paid $2.80.

She Feels Pretty delivers in American Oaks

Eastern invader She Feels Pretty made it back-to-back Grade 1 wins Thursday with another dominant victory, this time as the odds-on favorite in the $300,000 American Oaks.

She Feels Pretty, who won the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) at Keeneland by six lengths in October, this time rolled to a 2 1/2-length victory in the 1 1/4-mile American Oaks on turf. Hall of Famer John Velazquez was aboard for both victories.

“She is such a special filly,” winning trainer Cherie DeVaux said. “Johnny has done a great job helping us get her to where she is. It has been a team effort for everybody to get her here.”

Sent off as the 3-5 favorite, She Feels Pretty was forwardly placed throughout while racing under a tight hold. On the final turn, She Feels Pretty went wide and unleashed a scintillating turn of foot to blow by the field and win easily.

“She got a little keen, broke a little slow, and then when she passed the dirt, she took like a weird step, and then she got up and started running up,” Velazquez said. “I wanted to keep her covered up. She is much better covered up, but today she was really keen. I put her right behind the horse in front of me, and I held her the best I could.”

The winning time on firm turf was 1:58.69 following fractions of 23.20, 46.25, 1:11.51 and 1:36.06.

Kathynmarissa (4-1), ridden by Frankie Dettori for trainer Rick Dutrow, finished second. She was followed by Medoro (6-1) in third with Rashmi (25-1) rounding out the superfecta.

She Feels Pretty, a $240,000 auction buy as a yearling, improved to 8: 5-1-2 with $1,128,317 in earnings for owner Lael Stables. As a 2-year-old the daughter of Karakontie won her first two starts, including the Natalma (G1) at Woodbine, before finishing third by a half-length as the favorite in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.

This year she won the Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico in May and was beaten by less than a length in both the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1) and the Lake Placid (G2) before taking the QEII.

“It’s really special,” DeVaux said. “She is a filly that, as an early 2-year-old, she was kind of like an ugly duckling. She just needed to grow into herself. Still she won her first time out going 5 1/2 furlongs, and now she is up to a mile-and-a-quarter, so it has been quite rewarding to watch the process.”

She Feels Pretty paid $3.20, $2.20 and $2.10. Kathynmarissa returned $3.80 and $2.80. Medoro, ridden by Antonio Fresu for trainer Peter Eurton, paid $2.80.

37-1 long shot Kopion steals La Brea

A rough morning for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella and Spendthrift Farm gave way to a glorious afternoon when 37-1 long shot Kopion came off a long break to deliver a shocking triumph in the $300,000 La Brea (G1) for 3-year-old fillies.

Early Thursday, Mandella had to scratch Spendthrift’s highly regarded Tamara from the La Brea after she spiked a fever. Left to carry the banner for Mandella and Spendthrift in the seven-furlong sprint was Kopion, who was making her first start in more than eight months.

Kopion’s layoff, or anything else for that matter, would wind up being of no consequence. The Omaha Beach filly rolled to a dominant, 2 3/4-length victory under Kazushi Kimura, earning her second graded-stakes win and first at the Grade I level.

“We are high as a kite right now,” said Eric Gustavson, owner and president of Spendthrift Farm. “We had a bunch of friends and family come in for the race. It was such a crazy day, because we had Tamara, and she scratched. We got the text from Richard this morning, so we were all down. Now this. This is racing. It is great.

“This is such a big deal. A Grade 1 winner on the dirt for Omaha Beach. All glory to God, we are over the moon.”

Kopion broke alertly and pressed pacesetter Sandy Bottom through early fractions of 22.17 and 44.32 seconds. At the top of the stretch, Sandy Bottom began to drop anchor while Kopion continued to motor. The winner never would be threatened. Kopion extended her lead late and crossed the wire an easy winner with a final time of 1:22.08.

“She has been getting better and better,” Mandella said. “I told Kaz that she is quick, and you don’t need to rush her.”

Splendora, a 25-1 long shot, rallied to place second. Sugar Fish (7-1) was another two lengths back in third with Hope Road rounding out the superfecta.

One Magic Philly, the 7-5 favorite who was exiting the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, tracked the pacesetter in third through the opening half-mile before fading to sixth in the eight-horse field.

Kopion paid $77.40, $31.20 and $16.00. Splendora, ridden by Joel Rosario for trainer Bob Baffert, returned $25.20 and $13.60. Sugar Fish, with Tyler Baze up for trainer Jeff Mullins, paid $4.60.

With the win, Kopion improved to 5: 3-1-0 with $314,600 in earnings. She won her debut in November 2023 at Del Mar followed by a victory in the Santa Ynez (G2) in her 3-year-old debut in January. Kopion then finished second in the Las Virgenes (G3) and fourth in the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) before hitting the sideline.

J B Strikes Back breaks through in Pincay

J B Strikes Back lit up the toteboard when scoring as the second-longest shot on in the field at 16-1 in the $200,000 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes (G2).

The 1 1/16-mile race was renamed this year in honor of the legendary Hall of Fame jockey who won 9,530 races and 14 Santa Anita riding titles before his retirement in 2003. The race previously was run as the San Antonio Stakes from 1935 through 2023. Pincay, 77, was on hand to present the trophy in the winner’s circle.

J B Strikes Back, who was making his stakes debut for trainer Doug O’Neill, took the lead on the backstretch and held off all comers to score by 1 1/4 lengths under Antonio Fresu. A 3-year-old gelding by Goldencents, J B Strikes back is owned by Purple Rein Racing, which is led by Janie Buss of the Buss family that owns the Los Angeles Lakers.

J B Strikes Back and Ashcroft (9-2) raced side-by-side on the lead around the clubhouse turn before J B Strikes Back eventually inched ahead up the backstretch.

On the second turn, second-choice Tarantino (7-2) ranged up to the eventual winner but never went by. J B Strikes Back was kept to task through the lane before crossing the wire with a winning time of 1:36.92. Early fractions for the race were 22.71, 45.67 and 1:09.99.

American Admiral (20-1) rallied for third under Kazushi Kimura with Express Train (9-2) rounding out the superfecta. The 3-2 favorite Katonah raced evenly throughout and and checked in sixth under Dettori.

J B Strikes Back paid $34.80, $13.60 and $8.80. Tarantino, ridden by Edwin Maldonado for trainer Peter Eurton, returned $5.40 and $4.00. American Admiral, trained by Tim Yakteen, returned $8.80.

The win was the third in a row for J B Strikes Back, who improved his record to 9: 4-0-0 with $119,180 in earnings. He entered off a first-level allowance win going a mile at Del Mar on Nov. 23.