By Alan Carasso
Cuyathy LLC's Johannes (Nyquist) consolidated his position at the top of the West Coast turf mile division with a comprehensive victory in Saturday's GII City of Hope Mile Stakes, in so doing locking up a spot in the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 2.
Favored at 4-5 to add to victories in this track's May 27 GI Shoemaker Mile Stakes and the nine-furlong GII Eddie Read Stakes last time at the seaside July 28, the homebred made best use of his low draw in two to drop down right onto the fence and sit fourth into the first turn as all-the-way GII Del Mar Mile hero Conclude (Collected) came across from his widest stall to cover the opening quarter-mile in :23.04. The front-runner was chased closest by Astronomer (Air Force Blue), while Packs A Wahlop (Creative Cause) covered Johannes for the move down the backstretch.
Holding his spot at the inside while going along nicely in hand entering the far turn, Johannes began to pinch ground at the fence under his own courage and took two-path aim on the pacesetter on the swing for home. In front approaching the eighth pole, Johannes strode out a convincing winner as Del Mar Mile runner-up Almendares (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) charged home from the back of the pack to just touch Conclude out of second.
“I'm thrilled with the effort,” winning trainer Tim Yakteen said. “That's seven out of eight since we went to the turf. Umberto (Rispoli) has done a great job. This was a 'Win and You're In' for the Breeders' Cup and if everything is fine with Johannes, that is where we are headed.”
A maiden winner in his turf debut on New Year's Eve 2022, Johannes won the 6 1/2-furlong Baffle Stakes and Apr. 2 Pasadena Stakes at a mile before suffering his first defeat on the grass when fifth in the GII American Turf Stakes last May. Off 11 months thereafter, the homebred resumed with a smart tally in the GIII American Stakes going this track and trip Apr. 4 and earned triple-digit Beyers in the Shoemaker (101) and Eddie Read (103) ahead of this test.
Pedigree Notes:
In the name of their Cuyathy, Joe and Debby McCloskey purchased Johannes's dam for $50,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November Sale and raced her to three wins from 20 tries and a third placing in the Kalookan Queen Stakes in 2018.
Johannes is the first foal from the mare, who is also responsible for 2-time winner Sea Dancer (Mastery), seventh in Saturday's Unzip Me Stakes down the hillside turf course, and the juvenile filly Sea Runner (Gun Runner), most recently third in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar Sept. 7. A half-sister to the multiple graded-placed Join in the Dance (Sky Mesa), Cuyathy is the dam of a yearling filly by Knicks Go, missed to Mandaloun for 2024 and was most recently covered by Maxfield.
Saturday, Santa Anita
CITY OF HOPE MILE S. PRESENTED BY MYRACEHORSE-GII, $201,500, Santa Anita, 9-28, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:32.45, fm.
1–JOHANNES, 126, c, 4, 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.
$120,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 11-7-0-1, $693,859. Werk
Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the eNicks report &
5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Almendares (GB), 122, g, 4, Havana Grey (GB)–Glace (Ire), by
Verglas (Ire). (16,000gns Wlg '20 TATFOA; 14,000gns Ylg '21
TATOCT). O-CYBT, McLean Racing Stables, Saul Gevertz,
Michael Nentwig and Ray Pagano; B-D. R. Tucker (GB);
T-Philip D'Amato. $40,000.
3–Conclude, 126, c, 4, Collected–Believe You Can, by Proud
Citizen. ($140,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Little Red Feather
Racing, Madaket Stables LLC and The Estate of Brereton C.
Jones; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Philip D'Amato. $24,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NO, NK. Odds: 0.80, 6.70, 12.50.
Also Ran: Trikari, Easter (Fr), Du Jour, Astronomer, Packs a Wahlop. Scratched: Irideo (Arg). Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
#3 JOHANNES ($3.60) does it again winning the $200,000 City of Hope Mile (G2) at Santa Anita and improving to a perfect 4 for 4 this year. The son of Nyquist was ridden by @Umbyrispoli and is trained by @timyakteen. Congrats to all the connections! pic.twitter.com/Mnz2ccjMEn
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) September 29, 2024
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