Johannes romps in Eddie Read

CUYATHY’s homebred Johannes enhanced his status atop the West Coast’s turf division with a dominant performance in Sunday’s $252,000 Eddie Read (G2) at Del Mar. The 11-10 favorite following scores in the American (G3) and Shoemaker Mile (G1), the Nyquist colt was even more emphatic in this first try at 1 1/8 miles.

Yet the Eddie Read’s tepid early pace made it more a test of finishing speed than stamina, and that only accentuated the superiority of Johannes. Trained by Tim Yakteen and piloted by Umberto Rispoli, the dark bay secured the perfect spot tracking front-running Balladeer through splits of :24.35, :48.51, and 1:12.85. Johannes pounced turning for home, and the race was over. The favorite quickened 2 1/2 lengths clear in a final time of 1:47.88 on the firm course.

The rest failed to distinguish themselves. Dicey Mo Chara, the 76-1 longest shot on the board, edged Balnikhov by a half-length for second. Master Piece, the 2022 Eddie Read winner, crossed the wire another half-length back in fourth. Next came slow-starting Easter, whose new blinkers did not galvanize him out of the gate; Du Jour; defending champion Gold Phoenix, who had a checkered passage; Balladeer; and There Goes Harvard.

Now 6-for-7 on turf, Johannes has bankrolled $573,859 from an overall mark of 10-6-0-1. The Kentucky-bred first displayed his affinity for the surface when crushing a six-furlong maiden at Santa Anita by nine lengths. Johannes rapidly emerged as a turf sophomore to follow in early 2023. Overcoming adversity to prevail in the Baffle S. over Santa Anita’s downhill course, he made it a hat trick on the stretch-out to a mile in the Pasadena S. His progress was interrupted by a fifth in the American Turf (G2) at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day, which turned out to be his last outing of the season.

Johannes has returned better than ever as a four-year-old. His tactical finesse is a plus, enabling Rispoli to place him as desired, depending upon how the race unfolds. Johannes closed from farther back in the April 4 American, thanks to a torrid early tempo, and he improved position more gradually in the Shoemaker Mile. The Eddie Read demonstrated that he’ll take up a forward role if circumstances permit. It’s also instructive that Johannes relishes the Del Mar turf, another point in favor of his candidacy for the Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1).

CUYATHY, the nom de course of owner/breeders Joe and Debby McCloskey, is an acronym for “Count upon your angels to help you.” The McCloskeys named their first horse Cuyathy, a filly by Congrats who went on to place in a stakes. Cuyathy would become the dam of Johannes. This is the family of Grade 2 vixen Elm Drive, runner-up in Saturday’s Daisycutter H. at Del Mar.