Santa Anita Stable Notes Sunday, May 11, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

JOHANNES INCHING TOWARDS RETURN TO WORK TAB FOR YAKTEEN

Grade I winner Johannes is nearing his first work of the year after spending more than two months on a Kentucky farm, trainer Tim Yakteen said Sunday.

Johannes, who was an Eclipse Award finalist for outstanding turf male of 2024, has been galloping daily at Santa Anita for the past several weeks. He was sent to Kentucky in January after he emerged from a win in the GII San Gabriel on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita with mild bone bruising.

“He’s coming back great,” Yakteen said. “We sent him out and gave him a little bit of ‘r and r.’ He’s been galloping and you’ll likely see him on the work tab towards the end of the month.”

The win in the San Gabriel capped a sparkling season for Johannes, a now 5-year-old horse by Nyquist. Johannes last year won 5-of-6 starts, all graded stakes, including the GI Shoemaker Mile. His lone defeat was a runner-up finish in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in November at Del Mar.

Johannes could make his return at Del Mar this summer, though Yakteen noted “we don’t have our eye on any ball yet.

“Whenever he’s ready, he’s ready. He’ll tell us,” Yakteen added.

Owned and bred by Cuyathy LLC, Johannes has an overall record of 13: 8-1-1 with $1,153,859 in earnings. As a 3-year-old, Johannes won two stakes, both at Santa Anita. Last year, in addition to the Shoemaker Mile and San Gabriel, Johannes won the GIII American and GII City of Hope Mile, both at Santa Anita, and the GII Eddie Read at Del Mar.

“It’s exciting to have him back,” Yakteen said.

LOVESICK BLUES EXITS SIREN LURE WIN IN GOOD ORDER

Trainer Librado Barocio reported all was well with Lovesick Blues the morning after the veteran gelding earned his first stakes win in Saturday’s Siren Lure for older horses at six furlongs on turf.

“He came out of the race perfect,” Barocio said from his stable office. “He ate up everything last night and is happy as a lark this morning.”

In the Siren Lure, Lovesick Blues and jockey Geovanni Franco earned a hard-fought victory over favorite Bran by a half-length. For Barocio, Franco and owner Mia Familia Racing Stable, this was the second year in a row they won the Siren Lure. Last year, they teamed to win the race with Johnny Podres. Lovesick Blues and Johnny Podres are both by California-based stallion Grazen and were bred by Nick Alexander. Alexander also campaigned the pair before they were sold in private deals and transferred to Barocio.

“It’s pretty cool how it turned out both being by Grazen, with the same jockey, same owner, same exercise rider, same everything,” Barocio said.

Lovesick Blues, seven, had hit the board in six stakes including a pair of Grade IIIs prior to Saturday’s breakthrough. The win upped his record to 39: 8-10-8 and pushed his career earnings past the half-million mark at $524,000.

As for Lovesick Blues’ next assignment, Barocio said it remains to be determined but one option would be the GIII Daytona at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course on June 14, which is closing weekend of the Hollywood Meet.

WORKS: CABO SPIRIT, SEAL TEAM DRILL FOR GI SHOEMAKER MILE

Cabo Spirit and Seal Team, both candidates for the GI Shoemaker Mile on May 26, were among 249 horses to record timed workouts on a busy Sunday morning at Santa Anita.

Cabo Spirit, trained by George Papaprodromou, worked five furlongs on the main track in 1:00.60. Cabo Spirit most recently went gate-to-wire winning the GIII American at a mile on turf on April 20 at Santa Anita. It was his fourth graded stakes win and fifth stakes victory overall. The 6-year-old gelding by Pioneerof the Nile has banked $1,134,336 for owner Kretz Racing.

Seal Team worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 for trainer Richard Mandella. A 5-year-old horse by War Front, Seal Team most recently finished second in the GIII Thunder Road at a mile on turf Feb. 1.

Working towards an expected start in the GII Hollywood Gold Cup, also on May 26, was Midnight Mammoth for trainer Craig Dollase. Midnight Mammoth worked four furlongs in 48.60 seconds. A 6-year-old gelding by Midnight Lute, Midnight Mammoth most recently romped by 5 ½ lengths in a second-level allowance going 1 1/16 miles on April 26 at Santa Anita. Earlier this year, he finished fourth in the GI Santa Anita Handicap, which like the Gold Cup is contested at 1 ¼ miles.

Among trainer Jonathan Thomas’s workers were graded stakes winners Will Then and Rashmi. Will Then returned to the tab after shipping to Churchill Downs and finishing fifth in the GII Edgewood Stakes on the Kentucky Oaks undercard May 2. A 3-year-old filly by War of Will, Will Then worked four furlongs on the main track in 48.20 seconds. She is nominated to next Sunday’s GIII Honeymoon at Santa Anita going 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Rashmi worked for the first time since finishing third in the GII Buena Vista on May 1. The 4-year-old Oscar Performance filly, who won the GIII Megahertz in February, drilled five furlongs on the main track in 1:02.20.

Trainer Phil D’Amato’s workers included graded stakes winners Motorious and Jungle Peace. Motorious worked four furlongs on the synthetic training track in 48.20 seconds. Runner-up in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar, Motorious hasn’t started since winning the GII Joe Hernandez on Dec. 28 at Santa Anita.

Jungle Peace, who earned her first stakes win in the GIII Senorita for 3-year-old fillies on April 27, returned to the tab with a five-furlong work on the training track in 59.80 seconds. It was the second-fastest of 21 works at the distance on the training track. Jungle Peace is also nominated to next Sunday’s Honeymoon.

Also working were graded stakes winners Sweet Azteca and Spirit of Makena. Sweet Azteca, who is now trained by Richard Baltas, worked five furlongs in 58.80 seconds. It was the third-fastest of 63 works at the distance on the main track. A 5-year-old Sharp Azteca mare, Sweet Azteca hasn’t started since last October when finishing fourth in the GIII Chillingworth at Santa Anita. This was her fifth work since March 17.

Spirit of Makena drilled five furlongs in 1:01.20 for Papaprodromou. A 7-year-old Ghostzapper horse, Spirit of Makena most recently returned from an 18-month layoff with an encouraging third-place effort in the GIII San Carlos on March 29.

FINISH LINES: Next weekend’s feature races are the Mizdirection Stakes on Saturday and the GIII Honeymoon Stakes on Sunday. The Mizdirection is for older fillies and mares at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course. The Honeymoon is for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on turf…Sunday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 1:37 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park…Aided by a $67,674 carryover, Saturday’s $2 Pick Six paid $14,751 for 24 winning tickets…Jockey Armando Aguilar won two races Saturday to move into the top 10 in the jockey’s standings…Next Sunday will be jockey Serafin Carmona’s final day as an apprentice…Following Sunday’s nine-race card, live racing will resume on Friday. Every Friday during the Hollywood Meet, on-track patrons receive free parking and admission plus $3 beer and $5 margaritas.

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