The $200,000 City of Hope Mile (G2) is a 1-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win, and You’re In” event for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) set for Keeneland on Oct. 31.
The race began in 1986 as the Colonel F. W. Koester Handicap, later ran as the Oak Tree Mile, and took its current name in 2013 in honor of the nearby Duarte Cancer Center.
Palace Music, perhaps best known as the sire of legendary Hall of Fame Cigar, won the inaugural running and set a course record at the same time. Other notable winners include Silic (1999), War Chant (2000) and Val Royal (2001), who all used it as a springboard to Breeders’ Cup Mile wins.
Mo Forza won back-to-back renewals in 2020–21, and Johannes matched that feat in 2024–25. Hall of Famer Neil Drysdale trained a record six winners while fellow Hall member Gary Stevens rode four.
This year’s six-horse field is a rematch of last month’s Del Mar Mile (G2), where the top four finished within a half-length.
Del Mar Mile winner King of Gosford (8-5), a 5-year-old Zoustar horse, won the 2025 Shoemaker Mile (G1) over this course and took the restricted Wickerr at Del Mar in July before his last win, which pushed him to millionaire status.
He’s tactical and can sit just off the lead or work out a stalking trip. He also has a proven late kick. Drawing widest is a mild concern on the tight Santa Anita turf turns at the distance, but he is the most accomplished miler in the field and the one to beat. Phil D’Amato trains and Umberto Rispoli rides.
Michael McCarthy sends out the Ireland-bred Juddmonte-owned runner Detain (8-1), who was second by a head in the Del Mar Mile after a strong late run. The 4-year-old is typically a closer or mid-pack stalker who does his best running down the lane. He’s the youngest runner in the field and seeks to improve on his record of a win, a second, and a third in three North American starts. Juan Hernandez has the call.
Chile-bred Teao (6-1) breaks from the rail under Paco Lopez for John Sadler. The 4-year-old gray colt by Ya Primo is a multiple Chilean Group 1 winner and won a Group 2 at this 1-mile distance. The Don Alberto homebred will make his North American debut after winning the Gran Premio Latinoamericano last out in April, but he has had a steady stream of impressive Southern California workouts since mid-August. He is the unknown quantity but wouldn’t be the first South American import to make a splash in the northern hemisphere.
Dan Blacker trains El Potente (9-5), and the 7-year-old was the Del Mar Mile favorite before finishing third, a neck behind runner-up Detain and a half-length back from winner King of Gosford. He is a consistent California turf miler who typically races forwardly or in the first flight, but still leaves enough in the tank for a strong finish. He has the tactical speed to stalk or take the lead if no one else wants it. Hector Barrios rides.
Cabo Spirit (6-1) finished fourth in the Del Mar Mile but was just a half-length off the winner. The 7-year-old finished second to Johannes in the 2025 City of Hope Mile and seeks to improve for the win this year. He is a confirmed front-runner/presser who often dictates or sits just off the pace. Jockey Mike Smith knows him well, so expect him to try to control the fractions again from his post in the middle of the field.
Irish Aces (6-1) ships in from the East for trainer Brendan Walsh, and the 6-year-old Mshawish gelding was second in the 2 Connaught Cup (G2) at Woodbine in July before a third in the King Edward Stakes (G2) last out five weeks ago. He owns solid graded stakes placing form on turf at a mile and slightly longer, so he’s certainly capable here. He typically sits off the pace and finishes; he just doesn’t win much, and this class hike may be a reach.
Jockey Rosario is a plus, but he will need a clean trip from his preferred mid-pack position.
Post time for the City of Hope, race 3, is 5:06 p.m. ET
| # | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teao | Paco Lopez | John Sadler | 6-1 |
| 2 | El Potente | Hector Barrios | Dan Blacker | 9-5 |
| 3 | Cabo Spirit | Mike Smith | George Papapadromou | 6-1 |
| 4 | Detain | Juan Hernandez | Michael McCarthy | 8-1 |
| 5 | Irish Aces | Joel Rosario | Brendan Walsh | 6-1 |
| 6 | King of Gosford | Umberto Rispoli | Phil D’Amato | 8-5 |
Last Updated on 09/23/2026
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.
