This post was originally published on this site
Desmond Doss, Slow Down Andy and Straight Up G – all stakes winners at Los Alamitos – are among 11 nominees to the $75,000-guaranteed E.B. Johnston Stakes.
A one-mile race for 3-year-olds & up bred or sired in California, the Johnston will be run Saturday, Sept. 17, the second day of the September Thoroughbred Meet at Los Alamitos.
The day after the Johnston, the $75,000 Dark Mirage – also at one mile – for fillies & mares (3-year-olds & up) will be offered. The race also attracted 11 noms, including the Bob Baffert-trained duo of Ganadora and Velvet Slippers.
Owned by owner-breeder J. Paul Reddam’s Reddam Racing LLC, Slow Down Andy, who wired eight opponents in the Grade II Del Mar Derby earlier this month, won the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity last Dec. 11 and was runner-up behind High Connection in the Los Alamitos Derby during the Summer Thoroughbred Festival in July.
Trained by Steve Miyadi for owner-breeder Nick Alexander, Desmond Doss, a 6-year-old son of Grazen, is a two-time stakes winner at Los Alamitos, capturing the Bertrando in 2021 and 2022.
Owned by Jim Rome’s Jungle Racing LLC, Straight Up G won the 2021 King Glorious Stakes at the Johnston distance in his lone local appearance. The 3-year-old has won three of seven and earned $209,160.
The other Johnston nominees are Appreciated, Big City Lights, who is undefeated in three starts, Club Cal, Crash Corrigan, who is 3-for-5 at Los Alamitos, Hail Freedom who has won four in a row for owner-breeder Ed Delaney and trainer Doug O’Neill, Hockey Dad, I’ll Stand Taller, Luvluv and multiple stakes winner The Chosen Vron.
A 3-year-old Quality Road filly owned by Baoma Corporation, Ganadora has won two of three and finished in a dead heat for fourth in the Grade II Summertime Oaks earlier this year at Santa Anita.
The other nominees to the Dark Mirage are Cover Version, Day Plan, Empire House, Founder’s Day, Harper’s Gallop, Havana Love, Midnight Jamboree, Over Attracted and Trouville.
Entries for the Johnston will be taken Wednesday, Sept. 14 while the Dark Mirage will be drawn Thursday, Sept. 15.
The seven-day September Thoroughbred meet will begin Friday, Sept. 16 and continue through Sunday, Sept. 25. Post time will be 1 p.m. on weekdays (Sept. 16 and Sept. 22-23) and 12:30 p.m. on weekends (Sept. 17-18 & 24-25).
