Johannes returns to Yakteen's barn after winter vacation
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Johannes, a finalist for the Eclipse Award as the outstanding turf male of 2024, returned to trainer Tim Yakteen’s stable at Santa Anita last weekend after a rest of more than two months on a Kentucky farm.
Johannes is expected to have a summer and fall campaign geared toward a start in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 1. Last November, Johannes was second by three-quarters of a length to More Than Looks in the BC Mile, his only loss in a six-race campaign that included five graded stakes wins.
Aside from a game performance in the BC Mile, the highlights of the year for Johannes were wins in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita last May, and a convincing win by 2 1/2 lengths in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar last July.
Owned by Joe and Debby McCloskey, Johannes won his final start of 2024 in the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26, which was designed as a prep race for the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 25.
In early January, Yakteen announced that Johannes would be sidelined during the winter because of bone bruising.
Johannes, 6, has won 8 of 13 starts and earned $1,153,859.
Upcoming schedule
Sunday is closing day of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting followed by a weekend without daytime Thoroughbred racing in California on April 11-13.
The track will conduct a spring meeting from April 18 to June 15, a season highlighted by a Memorial Day program that includes two Grade 1 races worth $300,000 on turf – the Shoemaker Mile, and Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles – and the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup, a $200,000 race at 1 1/4 miles on dirt for 3-year-olds and older horses.
With Sunday’s closing day of the winter-spring meeting, there are mandatory payouts in the pick six, the early and late pick fives and, the super high five on the final race.
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