Johannes will head into BC Mile on a roll after City of Hope victory

ARCADIA, Calif. – Johannes will go to the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 2 with a perfect 2024 record.

On Saturday at Del Mar, Johannes won his fourth stakes of the year in the Grade 2 City of Hope Mile on turf. Johannes earned a fees-paid berth to the BC Mile with the victory.

Johannes ($3.60) closed from fourth to win the $201,500 City of Hope Mile by 1 1/4 lengths over a fast-closing Almendares, a 6-1 chance. Conclude, who ran off briefly before the start and then set the pace, faded to finish third.

Johannes was ridden by Umberto Rispoli who had his mount on the inside to the top of the stretch before challenging Conclude with a two-wide move.

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“He caught that horse in a couple of strides,” Rispoli said. “He had the perfect race to come back on Nov. 2.”

The stewards conducted an inquiry into the stretch run, focusing on contact between Johannes and 12-1 Conclude in the stretch. The judges ruled unanimously that both runners contributed to the contact.

Hector Berrios, who rode Conclude, said the incident was inconsequential.

“It was nothing,” Berrios said.

Johannes was timed in 1:32.45 and earned $120,000 for owners Joe and Debby McCloskey and trainer Tim Yakteen. Johannes earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 100.

An emotional Joe McCloskey paid tribute to Yakteen’s crew in the winner’s circle.

“The whole team put it together,” he said. “I’m very grateful.”

Trikari, the lone 3-year-old in the field, finished fourth, followed by Easter, Du Jour, Astronomer, and Packs a Wahlop.

Johannes will be California’s leading hope for the BC Mile, which annually draws a very difficult field of runners from Europe and the rest of the United States.

Rispoli, for one, is ready to try that sort of field with Johannes. He said tougher competition will keep Johannes focused in the stretch.

“He has to pass horses and he has to go straight,” Rispoli said. “When he’s finishing around horses, he’ll go.”

Johannes’s wins this year include two stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita in the spring – the Grade 3 American Stakes and Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile – and the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar in July.

After the Eddie Read, Yakteen said Johannes would have one start before the BC Mile, in the City of Hope Mile.

The change of distance from his last start left Rispoli impressed with Johannes’s effort on Saturday.

“To go a mile and an eighth and go back to a mile shows he’s doing great,” he said.

A 4-year-old colt by Nyquist, Johannes has won 7 of 11 starts and earned $693,859.

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