CYPRESS, Calif. - Trainer Jeff Mullins has a 5-year-old in Man O Rose, whom he describes as having a “snappy” style away from the gate. The barn has a mare in Queen Maxima, who has shown the same snappy style in the stretch of turf sprints this year. Add the promising 2-year-old colt Intrepido and Mullins, 62, could be in for a fascinating autumn and winter with his California stable. Man O Rose, owned and bred by Bruce and Beverly Seitz, returned from a 10-month layoff to win Saturday’s $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes for California-bred milers for the second consecutive year. The 2-5 favorite, Man O Rose led throughout and won by 5 1/4 lengths under jockey Edwin Maldonado. “This horse is pretty snappy away from the gate,” Mullins said. Man O Rose earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 96, which compares well to his winning figure of 95 in the 2024 Johnston. Man O Rose’s win last year in the Johnston was the gelding’s fifth victory of 2024. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. The win on Saturday may be the start of a dominant period for Man O Rose of the California-bred older male division, which has changed considerably this year with the retirements of multiple stakes winner The Chosen Vron last spring and Kings River Knight in recent weeks. “We’ve been confident in this horse for a long time,” Mullins said in the winner’s circle. “He likes California-bred company. He’s a solid horse and with The Chosen Vron and (Kings River Knight) retired we should rise to the top now and hopefully take over that division.’’ The next stakes for older statebred runners are the $100,000 California Flag Handicap at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Oct. 11, and the $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes at seven furlongs on dirt at Del Mar on Nov. 8. Man O Rose was a well-beaten second in the 2024 Cary Grant, his final start before he was given a lengthy break following a nine-race campaign that year. Man O Rose has won 8 of 15 starts and earned $380,965. “Not too many horses come off a break and win at a mile,” Bruce Seitz said. Intrepido has a promising future after winning his second start in a maiden race at a mile at Del Mar by 3 1/4 lengths on Aug. 23. Intrepido is scheduled to start in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Oct. 4. “That’s where we’re pointing if everything stays on track,” Mullins said. The American Pharoah Stakes is a key prep race for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar on Oct. 31. The oft-pragmatic Mullins was quick to mention on Saturday that the competition in the American Pharoah Stakes is likely to be fierce, particularly from trainer Bob Baffert’s powerful stable. “It remains to be seen who we run against in the American Pharoah,” Mullins said. “He’ll have to be on his 'A' game, that’s for sure.” On Saturday at Santa Anita, Intrepido worked five furlongs in 1:01. By the Into Mischief stallion Maximus Mischief, Intrepido races for Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures, the partnership that also owns Queen Maxima. Queen Maxima won three consecutive sprint stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita and Churchill Downs from late February to early May. The streak included a commanding win by 3 1/2 lengths in the Grade 3 Unbridled Sidney Stakes at Churchill Downs. Queen Maxima ran 5 1/2 furlongs in course-record time of 1:01.29. At the Del Mar summer meeting, Queen Maxima finished sixth in two starts on turf – the restricted Osunitas Stakes at a mile on July 20, and a two-length loss after a wide trip in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap against males on Aug. 30. Queen Maxima has not worked since the Green Flash Handicap and is “just chilling,” Mullins said. There are no open company stakes for female turf sprinters at the Santa Anita autumn meeting that begins on Sept. 26. The next option in Southern California is the $200,000 Sen. Ken Maddy Stakes for fillies and mares at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar on Oct. 31. The 4-year-old filly Sugar Fish is a more immediate stakes runner. She will run in the Grade 2 Zenyatta Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Sept. 28. Sugar Fish won the 2024 Zenyatta and was later fifth behind Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna in the BC Distaff at Del Mar last November. Sugar Fish was fifth of sixth in her first start of 2025 in the restricted Tranquility Lake at a mile at Del Mar on Sept. 1 in a prep race for the $200,000 Zenyatta Stakes. Sugar Fish worked a half-mile at Santa Anita in 49.20 seconds on Sunday. There are no race plans for the 3-year-old colt Artislas, a two-time stakes winner in 2024 who is winless in four starts this year. Artislas finished third by three-quarters of a length in the La Jolla Handicap on turf at Del Mar on Aug. 3. Artislas was turned out for a rest following that loss. “He comes back next month,” Mullins said. “We gave him a little break. “He wasn’t keeping his weight. You could tell he needed to break.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.