Johannes Takes City of Hope; First Peace Wins Eddie D.

A pair of exciting finishes enlivened the inaugural California Crown undercard Sept. 28 at Santa Anita—one a daring dart along the rail by First Peace to win the Eddie D. Stakes (G2T), the other a decision from the stewards' room that confirmed Johannes' victory in the City of Hope Mile (G2T). The City of Hope Mile, the final race on the program, went to adjudication after Johannes, the odds-on favorite, collared frontrunning Conclude early in the stretch run and the two exchanged bumps before Johannes drew off to win. The inquiry sign was posted for those two and Almendares (GB), who edged Conclude for second. Upon review, the outcome on the track was upheld. "Did you have a heart attack when the inquiry sign was posted?" track presenter Zoe Cadman asked jockey Umberto Rispoli in the winner's circle. Before the rider could reply, owner-breeder Joe McCloskey interjected, "I did!" "He (Conclude) came off the rail and he brushed my horse," Rispoli said. "It wasn't that big. I would have been surprised if it had been reversed." The victory earned Johannes, a 4-year-old Nyquist colt, a "Win and You're In" spot in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) Nov. 2 on the Del Mar turf. The colt now is 4-for-4 this year for trainer Tim Yakteen. He has won seven of 11 lifetime starts, all six starts on the Santa Anita turf and all four starts at a mile on the turf. He also won at 1 1/8 miles in his previous start, the Eddie Read Stakes (G2T) at Del Mar. He broke his maiden in his fourth start when put on the grass for the first time, winning by nine lengths at Santa Anita on New Year's Eve 2022. That also was his first partnership with Rispoli, who has been aboard for all seven subsequent starts. Johannes races in the colors of Cuyathy, the owner named after stakes-placed Cuyathy, by Congrats, who is Johannes' dam. Cuyathy also produced stakes-placed winner Sea Runner, by Gun Runner, who was third in this year's Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes. Two races earlier, the excitement was on the track as First Peace and regular rider Mike Smith won the Eddie D. Stakes after squeezing through the narrowest of holes along the rail early in the stretch run. After that daring maneuver, First Peace shot right to the lead and won by 1 1/2 lengths over Air Force Red. First Peace, a 4-year-old Funtastic colt, seemed a logical choice for the run down the unique Santa Anita hillside turf course. In five previous trips down the hill, he'd posted two wins and three seconds, all of the runner-up finishes by narrow margins. At the top of the stretch, the Eddie D. looked like more of a challenge as First Peace was caught on the inside behind the tiring leaders. Seeking a sliver of daylight, Smith guided his mount right up against the rail and through. "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." "Mike put a perfect ride on him," said winning trainer Mark Glatt. "That's why they call him 'Big Money Mike'." First Peace earned his fifth win to go with five seconds and two thirds from 15 starts. He has missed a first-three finish only once in 11 starts on the Santa Anita greensward but came into the Eddie D. off a sixth-place finish in the Del Mar Mile (G2T), in which Conclude and Almendares finished 1-2. Christopher L. Baker and Mullikin Thoroughbreds bred First Peace in Kentucky out of the Point of Entry daughter Peace Opportunity, whose immediate family includes grade 2 winners Street Sounds and Tower of Texas.