Santa Anita: Johannes scores; Cabo Spirit, First Peace also win

Johannes moved to 4-for-4 this year while earning an automatic spot in the Breeders’ Cup Mile thanks to his victory Saturday in the Grade 2, $200,000 City of Hope Mile, part of the California Crown undercard at Santa Anita.

Jockey Umberto Rispoli had Johannes tracking the leaders in mid-pack while racing along the rail. The 4-year-old Nyquist colt moved close to pacesetter Conclude (12-1) at the top of stretch before pulling away to win by 1 1/4 lengths.

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Almendares (6-1), trained by Phil D’Amato, rallied for second by a nose over stablemate Conclude. Eastern shipper Trikari was another neck back in fourth to round out the superfecta.

Stewards posted the inquiry sign to look at some bumping between Johannes and Conclude in the upper stretch, but they ruled the contact was mutual and let the result stand.

“It was horse racing,” Rispoli said. “Héctor (Berrios) came off the rail and tried to engage his horse (Conclude) left-handed, and he bumped my horse. He is the kind of horse that tends to lean a little bit. We just brushed each other. Nothing too big. I would have been surprised to see any change. My horse, he just saw the gap, and he went through.”

Trained by Tim Yakteen, Johannes improved to 11: 7-0-1 with $693,859 in earnings for owner-breeder Joe and Debby McCloskey’s Cuyathy operation. This was his sixth stakes victory.

In three previous starts this year, Johannes won the American (G2) in April and the Shoemaker Mile (G1) in May, both at Santa Anita in May, and the Eddie Read (G2) in July at Del Mar.

“I’m thrilled with the effort,” Yakteen said. “That’s seven out of eight since we went to the turf. Umberto has done a great job.  This was a win-and-you’re-in for the Breeder’s Cup, and if everything is fine with Johannes, that is where we are headed.”

Conclude set fractions of 23.04, 46.30 and 1:09.61 for six furlongs. Johannes reached the seven-furlong marker at 1:20.94 and finished with a time of 1:32.45.

For the popular win, Johannes paid $3.60, $2.40 and $2.20. Almendares, ridden by Flavien Prat, returned $4.80 and $3.40. Conclude paid $5.20.

Cabo Spirit ends drought, wins John Henry

Cabo Spirit, who hadn’t won since October 2022, pulled off a 24-1 shocker Saturday when he earned a gate-to-wire victory in the $750,000 John Henry Turf Championship (G2) going 1 1/4 miles on the turf.

Sent straight to the front by jockey Abel Cedillo, Cabo Spirit set a comfortable pace with little pressure. The 5-year-old gelding opened up his lead on the final turn and then gamely held off all comers to score by one length.

There Goes Harvard (9-1) rallied for second under John Velázquez. It was another head back to Master Piece (8-1) in third with Dicey Mo Chara (7-1) completing the superfecta.

“The goal was to make the lead and if another horse sped ahead, let them go,” Cedillo said. “If not, the plan was always to get to the front and then try to slow down. That’s exactly what we did.”

Cabo Spirit set fractions of 25.13, 50.43, 1:15.13 and 1:39.06 for a mile before crossing the wire with a final time of 2:01.26.

A 5-year-old gelding by Pioneerof the Nile, Cabo Spirit had not won since taking the Twilight Derby (G2) as a 3-year-old at Santa Anita. Most recently he ran an even third in a classified allowance at Del Mar going 1 1/16 miles on turf.

Trained by George Papaprodromou for owner Kretz Racing, Cabo Spirit improved to 27: 5-3-6 while becoming racing’s newest millionaire. The $450,000 winner’s share pushed his earnings to $1,035,336.

“He ran huge,” Papaprodomou said. “He went out there, and Abel did a great job, put them to sleep kind of and kept him going.”

Cabo Spirit paid $51.20, $20.40 and $12.60. There Goes Harvard, trained by Michael McCarthy, returned $11.00 and $7.80. Master Piece, trained by Richard Dutrow Jr. with Juan Hernández up, paid $7.00.

Divin Propos, ridden by Antonio Fresu for D’Amato, was bet down to the 2-1 favorite from a 5-1 morning line and checked in fifth.

First Peace comes through in Eddie D

First Peace, bet down to the 9-5 favorite, found a seam on the rail in deep stretch and slipped through to earn his first graded-stakes win, doing so in the $750,000 Eddie D Stakes (G2) on the hillside turf course.

Ridden by Hall of Famer Mike Smith, First Peace lagged near the back of the pack as the field descended the hill. Once the leaders passed the dirt crossing and reached mid-stretch, First Peace received his cue and responded with a late burst on the inside to score by 1 1/2 lengths.

Air Force Red (6-1), ridden by Hernández, was second. King of Gosford (9-1) and Fresu came in third.

We got the dream trip,” Smith said.  I knew this horse didn’t want to go to the front. I warmed him up by himself, and I knew he was going to finish strong. He’s got some kind of turn of foot. He turned it on at the end.”

First Peace won with a final time of 1:11.56 following fractions of 21.64, 43.52 and 1:05.63.

“He runs every time,” winning trainer Mark Glatt said. “Last time (in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile) it was a little bit of a blip. We thought he would recover pretty well from that race. He loves the hillside course. Mike put a perfect trip on him, that’s why they call him Big Money Mike.”

First Peace, who was 4-1 on the morning line, returned $5.80, $3.40 and $2.60. The 4-year-old colt by Funtastic is owned by Rancho Temescal and Red Baron’s Barn. His two previous stakes wins came in the restricted Wickerr at Del Mar in July and last year’s black-type John Shear at Santa Anita. He is 15: 5-5-2 with $778,520 in earnings.

Air Force Red, trained by Leonard Powell, paid $5.80 and $4.20. King of Gosford, trained by D’Amato, paid $4.60.