Johannes to get started with American Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – Johannes, a two-time stakes winner in 2023, will start in Sunday’s Grade 3 American Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita as a prep for major goals later this spring.

Johannes won his first three starts on turf in late 2022 and early 2023 before finishing fifth by two lengths in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs last May, his most recent start.

Turned out for the remainder of 2023, Johannes resumed workouts for trainer Tim Yakteen in late January and has had a consistent pattern of works in recent months, including six furlongs in 1:12.20 on March 17 and five furlongs in 1:01 last Saturday.

With a successful start in the $100,000 American Stakes, Johannes could start in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on turf May 27 at Santa Anita.

:: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports

“He’s coming back healthy,” Yakteen said. “We’re looking forward to his campaign. I hope this will set him up for the Shoemaker. Ultimately, that’s on our schedule.”

Johannes has yet to win a graded stakes. He won the Baffle Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course in March 2023 and the Pasadena Stakes at a mile on turf a month later in consecutive starts.

In the American Turf Stakes, Johannes closed from 12th of 13 to be nearest the front at the finish.

Sunday’s American Stakes drew 16 nominations, including Du Jour, Easter, and Ah Jeez, the first three finishers of the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf March 3. While trainer Bob Baffert said in a text message Sunday that plans for Du Jour are “undecided,” trainers Phil D’Amato and Doug O’Neill said Easter and Ah Jeez will not start in the American.

D’Amato does have two formidable candidates in Gold Phoenix and Prince Abama.

Gold Phoenix, a four-time stakes winner, has not raced since he finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at 1 1/2 miles last November. Prince Abama was seventh of eight in the Kilroe Mile in his first start since a win in the Grade 3 San Marcos Stakes in February 2023.

The American Stakes will arrive too soon on the 2024 calendar for Astronomer, a stakes-placed turf miler last year.

Unraced since a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap on Nov. 25 at Del Mar, Astronomer will be pointed to the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on turf April 27 at Golden Gate Fields.

“I don’t think he’ll be quite ready,” trainer Simon Callaghan of the American Stakes.

Owned by Michael Tabor and Alice Bamford, Astronomer was second by a neck in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile on turf at Santa Anita last September and later 12th of 13 at 53-1 in the BC Mile.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.