A short but talented field of six with hopes of making the gate for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) at Del Mar will face the starter in Saturday’s $200,000 City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita.
The 1-mile turf test is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series "Win and You’re In” event for the grass mile centerpiece in five weeks.
Originally contested as the Colonel F. W. Koester Handicap beginning in 1986 during the Oak Tree meet, the race was named in honor of a member of the of 1932 United States equestrian team who later served as the general manager of the California Thoroughbred Breeders Association from 1955 to 1969.
The first running was captured by Palace Music, who was trained by the legendary Hall of Famer Charlie Whittingham. While Palace Music was a multiple Grade 1 winner, he probably earned his fame as a stallion as he was best known as the sire of the late, great fan favorite Cigar.
In 1989 the event was classified as a Grade 3 and then bumped to a Grade 2 in 1990, but after being renamed the Oak Tree Mile in 1996, it was back to a Grade 3 until 2003 when it returned to Grade 2 status. In 2013 the name of the event was changed to the City of Hope Stakes in honor of the world-renowned cancer treatment center located a few miles from the racetrack in Duarte.
Silic, War Chant and Val Royal (1999–2001) completed the City of Hope Mile (Oak Tree Mile)/Breeders’ Cup Mile double and remain the only ones to complete the feat, though last year’s winner Johannes was second on racing’s championship day. Obviously, in 2012, won this race (when it was a one-off year named the Arroyo Seco Mile) and was third in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Mile. He was also fifth in the 2013 Mile, fifth again in the 2014 Mile, and ninth in the 2015 Mile before capping his career with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) in 2016.
Johannes, the even-money favorite, returns off an uncharacteristic ninth-place finish as the 8-5 favorite in the Fourstardave Stakes (G2) at Saratoga in early August, his first start since the Breeders’ Cup last year due to some bone bruising.
To be fair, it was a rough trip in the Fourstardave for the Nyquist horse, who is so far undefeated in seven starts at Santa Anita. He’s also prolific at the distance with four wins in six starts, his only poor performance in the aforementioned Fourstardave.
He’s been training exceptionally well for trainer Tim Yakteen and against this field he doesn’t have to be his best, especially with the eyes on the Breeders’ Cup price. He’s even money on the morning line, but will likely go off lower and offer no value aside from excitement. Regular jockey Umberto Rispoli is back aboard.
Likely pacesetter Cabo Spirit (9-2) has had an exceptionally good year, having only finished off the board one time in six starts while picking up a couple of decent placings, losing by just a few feet twice in Grade 1 company. His speed is his weapon and if he gets to the front right out of the gate, it will be hard for any runner to get past him down the lane. He like this course and the distance and will have Mike Smith back aboard.
George Papapadromou trains for longtime clients Kretz Racing and this expensive son of the late Pioneerof the Nile certainly belongs here as a top choice and leading candidate to upset the favorite.
British-bred Almendares (3-1) was second to the favorite here a year ago and enters this race off a second-place finish in the Del Mar Mile last out. He doesn’t win often, but he is consistently in the money in graded stakes, and he likes this distance. It’s hard to say why he can’t connect for a win, maybe it’s that he’s just not quite good enough, or maybe he gets lazy in the lane. But if he fires, he figures in for at least a larger slice of the pie.
Final Boss (4-1), who will also be part of the early pace (which suits the favorite just fine), is making a big jump off a sixth-place finish in the Del Mar Mile. He has numbers to suggest he fits with this bunch, he just hasn’t really been too successful outside of allowance and non-graded stakes company, not that he’s had a ton of chances. It is easy to suggest that if he gets his trip without too much of an early duel he could be around at the wire for a share.
Zio Jo (10-1), another son of Nyquist, was fourth in the Del Mar Mile in his last start a month ago and even though he hasn’t won since taking an allowance by the California seashore 10 months ago, he’s been consistently picking up checks in stakes company since.
He likes the mile and the surface, he will get a good pace to sit just off of, and he seems like a good bet for all the exactas and trifectas.
In keeping with the family theme, Scoobie Quando (20-1) – a son of Uncle Mo, the same sire as Nyquist – makes his stakes debut for trainer Michael McCarthy. This Kentucky transplant is talented, but this may be just too big of a jump for him.
The field for the $200,000 City of Hope Mile (G2), from the rail out, with jockey, trainer, odds:
1 Zio Joe (Mirco Dimuro, Doug O’Neill), 10-1
2 Scooby Quando (Kazushi Kimura, Michael McCarthy), 20-1
3 Johannes (Umberto Rispoli, Tim Yakteen), 1-1
4 Final Boss (Juan Hernandez, John Sadler), 4-1
5 Almendares (Antonio Fresu, Phil D’Amato), 3-1
6 Cabo Spirit (Mike Smith, George Papapadromou, 9-2)
The three undercard graded stakes on Saturday honor two men and a horse who helped shape horse racing in California.
The Eddie D. Stakes (G2) honors the much beloved Hall of Fame jockey (Eddie Delahoussaye), who spent the majority of is stellar career based in Southern California. The Hall of Fame jockey and two-time Kentucky Derby winner won this race once, when it was known as the Morvich Handicap, back in 1984.
Inaugurated as the the Morvich Handicap in 1974 at the Oak Tree Racing Association meet at Santa Anita Park it was named for juvenile champion Morvich, who in 1922 became the first California-bred to win the Kentucky Derby. It has been the Eddie D. Stakes since 2012.
A well-matched field of eight will scramble 6 ½ furlongs down Santa Anita’s famed downhill turf course, including the favored Reef Runner from the rail. The Florida-based son of The Big Beast, who came West to win the Green Flash Handicap (G2) at Del Mar a month ago is a turf sprint specialist, though is normally restricted to about a furlong shorter. He will need a new rider, however, as regular pilot Paco Lopez was denied a stay of his six-month suspension related to a whip incident after the completion of a race late last year.
The local favorite is Yellow Card coming off an allowance win at even-money at Del Mar five weeks ago. While stakes company isn’t his regular beat, he was second in the Franklin-Simpson Stakes (G1) at Kentucky Downs last year before injury sent him to the sideline.
Back now for his third start of the year, he’s surely fit to tackle this distance. Others with a strong case to pick up the win include last year’s Eddie D. Stakes winner First Peace and 2022 City of Hope Mile winner Beyond Brilliant.
Longtime California racing patriarch John Harris, who passed away this summer, will be honored with the inaugural John C. Harris Stakes (G3), which was previously contested as the Unzip Me Stakes since 2012. Unzip Me was bred and co-owned by Harris. Favorites do well in this event, they’ve finished in front in five of the last six runnings.
Thirteen were entered for the 6 ½-furlong main track test, including Casalu, who is shortening up after a non-threatening eighth as the frontrunner in the 9-furlong Del Mar Oaks (G1) last month. The Caracaro filly won the listed Sweet Life Stakes earlier this year and then was second in the San Clemente Stakes (G2) at Del Mar this summer.
Trainer Graham Motion, who won this event a year ago with Toupie, sends Warming in from the East where she failed to do much in a pair of graded stakes in her last two. The Kentucky-bred does carry some strong California genetics, her dam is by legendary California sire Unusual Heat. She won’t like the slow pace in front of her so it’s a good bet Umberto Rispoli will have her closer than usual.
Eiffel, who is still eligible for non-winners other than allowance conditions, is back for her fourth start with some solid speed and pace figures that put her in the hunt here.
Trainer Phil D’Amato sends out a pair in Innovative and Favor to You, both decent allowance performers who need to improve to be factors here.
For those who bet horse racing ...
The 1 ¼-mile John Henry Turf Championship Stakes, while not a Breeders’ Cup Challenge race, offers a field full of potential contenders for the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) on Nov. 1.
Inaugurated as the Oak Tree Stakes in 1969, it was also named the Oak Tree Invitational Stakes and the Oak Tree Turf Championship Stakes, and from 2000 through 2011 it was called the Clement L. Hirsch Turf Championship Stakes.
The race is now named for the legendary gelding John Henry, whose statue stands outside the Santa Anita clubhouse in front of the famed Kingsbury Memorial Fountain.
Agave Racing Stable, Little Red Feather Racing, Marsha Naify et al.’s Gold Phoenix, fresh off a win over top rival Stay Hot in the Del Mar Handicap (G2) – his fourth consecutive win the Del Mar turf feature -- a month ago. The gelding is a winner at this distance and likes the Santa Anita turf, and will be the legitimate post-time favorite for trainer Phil D’Amato and jockey Umberto Rispoli.
Stay Hot, trained by Peter Eurton for owners Burns Racing LLC, Exline-Border Racing LLC, Estate of Brereton C. Jones and William Dan Huddock, has been consistent in graded stakes and returns off that second-place finish in his last, where he showed a ton of courage to just get passed at the wire. The Texas Turf Classic winner will be ridden by Mike Smith, who was also aboard in the Del Mar Handicap.
Balladeer won the 2023 John Henry in wire-to-wire fashion, who hasn’t won a race since then, is back for a challenge here.
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
