Johannes

Johannes, a Kentucky-bred son of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist, made one unsuccessful start on dirt at Churchill Downs before being sent west to trainer Tim Yakteen. He made two more starts on dirt with one third-place finish but improved dramatically when transferred to turf, winning a six-furlong race by nine lengths at Santa Anita Park on Dec. 31, 2022.

Staying on turf, Johannes made three starts in 2023 and won back-to-back listed stakes at Santa Anita for Yakteen, and then captured his first graded stakes in his first start at age 4 by posting a 1 ¾-length victory in the Grade 3 American Stakes at Santa Anita on April 4, 2024.

Johannes elevated his record on the Santa Anita turf course to 5-for-5 and solidified his status as a Santa Anita horse for the course when he won the Grade 1 $300,000 Shoemaker Mile on May 27. Sent off as the 2-1 favorite in a field of 11 in the Shoemaker Mile, Johannes was taken back to rate in mid-pack in the early stages of the race but had already moved into contention when loaded on the turn. He then confronted the leaders in the stretch and edged past to score by a half a length for his first Grade 1 victory.

For his next start, Johannes tried 1 1/8 miles for the first time in his career and also made his debut appearance on Del Mar’s turf course in the July 27 Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes. He settled into his usual stalking position and took over at will under regular jockey Umberto Rispoli, winning by 2 ½ lengths as the 11-10 favorite against an accomplished field.

Johannes was again up to the task in his following race, which came in the $200,000 Grade 2 City of Hope Mile on Sept. 28 at Santa Anita, where he got the best of an eight-horse field to win by 1 1/4 lengths to up his record to a perfect 4-for-4 in four graded stakes races in 2024. The City of Hope Mile was a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series prep race on the road to the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF, and with his victory, Johannes earned an expense-paid guaranteed entry into the Mile on Nov. 2 at Del Mar.

In a loaded edition of the Breeders’ Cup Mile, Johannes closed stoutly from a stalking position but had to settle for second, three quarters of a length behind fellow come-from-behind runner More Than Looks. He rebounded strongly from that near-miss to win his fifth graded stakes of 2024 from six starts, taking the San Gabriel Stakes as the odds-on favorite at Santa Anita Park on Dec. 26.

Johannes is out of the stakes-placed, winning Congrats mare Cuyathy. He races for owners-breeders Joe and Debbie McCloskey, who named their partnership after Johannes’ dam.