Kings River Knight stays hot with E.B. Johnston Stakes win
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CYPRESS, Calif. – On turf and dirt at tracks throughout Southern California, Kings River Knight has excelled in two-turn stakes for California-breds since late spring.
On Saturday, Kings River Knight won his third stakes in his last four starts in the $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes at a mile at Los Alamitos.
Kings River Knight ($3.40) fought off a threat from 3-1 Fast Draw Munnings in early stretch to win by two lengths.
Kings River Knight was timed in 1:35.11 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 98.
The victory gave winning rider Juan Hernandez a record 14th stakes win at Thoroughbred meetings at Los Alamitos. Hernandez began the current meeting on Friday tied with Corey Black, who won 13 stakes at the Orange County Fair in the 1980s and 1991.
The track ceased running the Orange County Fair meeting in 1991. Los Alamitos began running daytime Thoroughbred meetings in 2014 following the closure of Hollywood Park in December 2013. Los Alamitos currently runs seven weeks of daytime Thoroughbred racing annually.
Hernandez was the leading rider at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting and Del Mar summer meeting earlier this year.
Hernandez has ridden Kings River Knight in three of his last four races.
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He was aboard for wins in the Crystal Water Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita in May and the Bertrando Stakes at a mile on dirt at Los Alamitos in June. Umberto Rispoli rode Kings River Knight to a second-place finish in the California Dreamin’ Stakes on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 5, a day Hernandez was suspended for a routine riding infraction.
On Saturday, Kings River Knight stalked pacesetter Hail Freedom through an early pace of 22.91 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.08 for a half-mile before taking the lead on the turn with a two-wide move.
“At the three-eighths pole, he grabbed the bridle and he wanted to run,” Hernandez said. “I thought it was early, but he wanted to do it by himself.”
Fast Draw Munnings was within a half-length of Kings River Knight in early stretch, but could not keep pace with the winner in the final furlong.
“When he felt that other horse, he opened up again,” Hernandez said. “He was ready today.”
Fast Draw Munnings finished nine lengths clear of 11-1 Shortman, who was followed by Johnny Podres, Finneus, and Hail Freedom in the field of six. Geezer was a vet scratch early Saturday.
Kings River Knight, a 5-year-old gelding by Acclamation, races for the partnership of the family of the late Bud Johnston, Integrity Thoroughbred Racing, and Kenneth Tevelde.
Trained by John Sadler, Kings River Knight has won 6 of 12 starts and $366,010.
The E.B. Johnston Stakes honors the memory of Bud Johnston’s father, who founded the prominent California Thoroughbred farm Old English Rancho.
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