Loud Mouth wins E.B. Johnston via Peaceful Transfer's disqualification
CYPRESS, Calif. - Loud Mouth was promoted from second to first in Sunday’s $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes for California-bred milers at Los Alamitos after race winner Peaceful Transfer was disqualified for a bumping incident in the final sixteenth.
The two runners were dueling when 7-1 Peaceful Transfer drifted out and struck Loud Mouth, who was beaten a half-length.
In a majority decision, stewards Grant Baker, Luis Jauregui, and Tom Ward voted to demote Peaceful Transfer to second and promote Loud Mouth.
Peaceful Transfer was timed in 1:35.87 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 86. Loud Mouth earned a figure of 85. Loud Mouth ($22.60) was the longest shot in a field of six.
Jockey Abel Cedillo thought Loud Mouth was on the verge of winning before the incident.
“I was in front,” Cedillo said. “As soon as he bumped me, he took my spot” at the front.
“It cost me.”
Loud Mouth finished 2 1/2 lengths clear of 9-5 Desmond Doss, who was followed by 6-5 favorite Galilean, Tom’s Surprise, and Big Fish in the small field.
Tom’s Surprise set a moderate pace of 23.13 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.46 for a half-mile before fading from contention in the lengthy stretch.
Loud Mouth, a 5-year-old horse by Boisterous, races for Thomsen Racing and trainer Steve Knapp.
A winner of 8 of 29 starts, Loud Mouth has won two stakes for statebreds in the last year. In November 2020 Loud Mouth won the Cary Grant Stakes at 7 1/2 furlongs on dirt at Del Mar in a 13-1 upset.
Loud Mouth has earned $374,070. The Johnston Stakes was Loud Mouth’s first start since a fourth against statebreds in the Thor’s Echo Stakes at six furlongs at Santa Anita on June 12.