Man O Rose leads all the way in E.B. Johnston Stakes

CYPRESS, Calif. - A comfortable Man O Rose turned into a stakes-winning Man O Rose in Saturday’s $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes for California-breds at Los Alamitos.

Racing at a mile for the first time, Man O Rose ($4.20) led throughout the dirt race, drawing clear through the stretch to prevail by an eye-catching eight lengths.

Ridden by Edwin Maldonado, Man O Rose was timed in 1:35.52 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95.

“My main concern was to get him to relax,” Maldonado said. “When I got to the first turn, he pricked his ears forward and that was the most important thing.

“Whether he was second or third, I wanted to relax wherever he was.”

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Man O Rose set a fair pace of 23.58 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.69 for a half-mile, leading by as much as a length over the longshot El Rey Dorado and Cowboy Mike, the 5-2 second choice. When those runners faded from contention, Man O Rose was left alone on the lead, the prevalent style of many winners on Saturday’s program.

Dont Fight the Fed, third in the Bertrando Stakes at a mile for statebreds at Los Alamitos in June, closed from fifth to finish second at 7-1. Coalinga Road, winner of the Unusual Heat Turf Classic at Santa Anita in January 2023, closed from sixth to finish third at 7-2, beaten 10 lengths.

The remaining order of finish was Cowboy Mike, Shortman, El Rey Dorado and Fast Draw Munnings. Rhino was scratched in favor of a race on Sunday.

Man O Rose, a 4-year-old gelding, is by Stanford and races for owners and breeders Bruce and Beverly Zietz. Man O Rose has won 7 of 12 starts and earned $319,840.

Man O Rose won four consecutive starts at Santa Anita from early March to mid-June in sprints on turf and dirt before he finished last of six in an allowance race at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 2.

Mullins said earlier this week that Man O Rose was uncomfortable in the Aug. 2 race when horses raced to his outside.

There were no rivals outside of Man O Rose during the Johnston Stakes. None of the other six starters could keep pace.

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