Bet like he couldn't lose, Johannes strolled home much the best while making his two-turn bow in the Pasadena S. at Santa Anita Sunday. Taken in hand out of the gate, the heavy favorite settled at the back of the compact four-horse field heading into the backstretch. He rolled up four wide to challenge the pacesetters into the lane, pounced to the lead at midstretch and powered clear under a hand ride for an effortless victory.
“It's onward and upward,” said winning trainer Tim Yakteen. “It was a small field, but I think it was a great stepping stone for us to validate that we can two-turn. I'll get together with [owner/breeder] Joe [McCloskey] and come up with a game plan and see if we can have some fun. Very nice. We are very happy.”
Johannes graduated by an emphatic nine lengths while trying turf for the first time at Santa Anita last December and jumped up to stakes company with a late-closing win down the hill at Santa Anita in the Mar. 5 Baffle S.
“The thing that made me believe he could run a mile, was last time going down the hill, he was so relaxed out of the gate, and he was kind of push button,” said winning rider Umberto Rispoli. “It was a little messy going down the hill. Unfortunately, I couldn't have the spot I wanted, so I had to wait until the sixteenth of a mile and he was much the best in that race, and he proved that again today.
“I think he is just starting to understand the game. Today, he came out of the gate like, “What am I going to do?' and as soon as I put him in behind horses, he switched off and from there it was just a matter of letting him run. My hands got itchy around the turn and finally I was happy to let him run. I don't think we've seen the best of him.”
Johannes is the first foal out of stakes-placed Cuyathy, who was purchased by McCloskey for $50,000 out of the 2014 Keeneland September sale. The mare has a 2-year-old filly by Mastery, a yearling filly by Gun Runner and produced a filly by Knicks Go this year. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
PASADENA S., $98,000, Santa Anita, 4-2, 3yo, 1mT, 1:33.79, fm.
1–JOHANNES, 120, c, 3, by Nyquist
1st Dam: Cuyathy (SP, $107,923), by Congrats
2nd Dam: Dance Darling, by Devil's Bag
3rd Dam: Danzig Darling, by Danzig
O/B-Cuyathy, LLC (KY); T-Tim Yakteen; J-Umberto Rispoli.
$60,000. Lifetime Record: 6-3-0-1, $170,059.
2–Game Time, 120, c, 3, Not This Time–Confession, by Broken
Vow. ($290,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Hronis Racing LLC;
B-Dermot Joyce (KY); T-John W. Sadler. $20,000.
3–Wizard of Westwood, 120, c, 3, Tu Brutus (Chi)–Figrare, by
Purge. ($20,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Andrew & Rania Warren;
B-Pope McLean (KY); T-Michael W. McCarthy. $12,000.
Margins: 3HF, 3/4, 7HF. Odds: 0.30, 2.80, 5.70.
Also Ran: Keen to Go. Scratched: Mucino.
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