Shades of Victory pulls 80-1 upset in E.B. Johnston

CYPRESS, Calif. – Shades of Victory, the longest shot in a field of seven, scored a shocking win at 80-1 in Saturday’s $75,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes for California-bred milers at Los Alamitos.

Ridden by Martin Pedroza, Shades of Victory led throughout and repelled challenges from leading contenders B Squared and Edwards Going Left in the final sixteenth. Shades of Victory ($162.60) won by a head over 4-1 B Squared, who finished a head in front of 4-5 Edwards Going Left.

Owned and trained by Reed Saldana, Shades of Victory was timed in 1:35.17. The 4-year-old colt set fractions of 23.51 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 46.76 for a half-mile, leading by 1 1/2 lengths for the first six furlongs. The margin was only a half-length with a furlong remaining before Pedroza coaxed Shades of Victory to the wire. Shades of Victory earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.

“When I saw the first quarter, I thought we had a shot,” Saldana said. “I knew he was doing it comfortably. Martin rode a great race. All the credit to him.”

B Squared won the Thor’s Echo Stakes for Cal-bred sprinters at Santa Anita in April. Edwards Going Left won the Cal Cup Sprint at Santa Anita in January.

Edwards Going Left was followed by Grecian Fire, El Huerfano, Soi Phet, and Touched by Autism.

Soi Phet, a 10-year-old gelding, won consecutive stakes for Cal-breds earlier this year – the Crystal Water Stakes on turf at Santa Anita in May, and the Bertrando Stakes at a mile here on July 4. Soi Phet won the 2017 Johnston Stakes.

Shades of Victory was claimed by Saldana for $12,500 at Golden Gate Fields in April from trainer Greg James. Shades of Victory won an allowance race with a $16,000 claiming option for California-breds at Santa Anita in June and was later third in a starter handicap at five furlongs at Santa Anita and seventh in a productive optional claimer against open company at Del Mar on Aug. 4.

Shades of Victory has won 5 of 18 starts and earned $141,449. The colt, by Thorn Song, has earned $89,307 since being claimed.