Johannes makes his return in competitive renewal of G1 FanDuel Fourstardave

CUYATHY’s multiple graded stakes-winning Kentucky homebred Johannes will make his anticipated return in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 FanDuel Fourstardave, a one-mile inner turf test for older horses, at Saratoga Race Course.

The Fourstardave [Race 8] is one of five graded stakes on Saturday’s loaded Grade 1, $1 million Whitney card, headlined by the $1 million nine-furlong test for older horses in Race 11. The 13-race card will also feature the Grade 1, $750,000 Saratoga Derby Invitational in Race 9, the Grade 1, $500,000 Test presented by Ticketmaster in Race 10, and the Grade 2, $200,000 Saratoga Special in Race 3. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.

The Fourstardave is a “Win and You’re In” for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile in November at Del Mar.

Johannes, a five-time graded stakes-winner for conditioner Tim Yakteen, returns from a more than eight-month layoff dating to a three-quarter-length score in the Grade 2 San Gabriel on December 26 at Santa Anita Park. The win marked his fifth consecutive race that earned a triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure, all coming in Grade 1 or Grade 2 events.

Yakteen said he is pleased with the way the son of Nyquist has trained since returning to the work tab in late May. He worked a sharp five-furlongs in 1:00.40 handily over Del Mar’s main track on July 26 in his final work before shipping to the Empire State.

“We’re doing good. It’s a long way to travel if we’re not doing good,” Yakteen said, with a laugh. “He had his final prep and we’re all set. We’re happy with the way he’s doing, so let’s see if we can have some luck here.”

Last year, Johannes asserted himself among the top of this division with a tremendous campaign that was highlighted by a Grade 1 conquest in Santa Anita Park’s Shoemaker Mile in May as part of a four-race win streak, all in graded events. He followed next out with a 2 1/2-length coup of the Grade 2 Eddie Read at Del Mar that garnered a career-best 103 Beyer, the same number he would earn for a three-quarter-length second to More Than Looks in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile in November.

Johannes closed out the year with his determined victory in the San Gabriel, and emerged from that effort with mild bone bruising, leading to his layoff. Yakteen said he has had the Fourstardave circled on the calendar for some time, and that the 5-year-old dark bay looks as good as ever physically.

“He’s one of those horses that makes my job easy. He always maintains himself very well and he looks great,” Yakteen said. “We’re coming into it in great shape. He pretty much looks identical [to December]. He’s always a horse that carries a great coat and he carries his condition well. It’s been an uneventful trip back to his first race, and hopefully we’ll continue with that this week.”

Johannes made one start at Churchill Downs for trainer Bill Morey to start his career in 2022, and aside from one other trip to Churchill to finish off-the-board in the 2023 Grade 2 American Turf, has not started outside of California.

Yakteen said he is confident Johannes will be able to take his talents on the road with regular pilot Umberto Rispoli slated to ride from post 3.

“It’s a big ask, but I think he’s up to the task. He handled the ship well before,” Yakteen said. “Umberto knows him well. He’s been very versatile and I think that’s his asset. It’s always nice when you have that.”

Johannes is the highest-earning horse Yakteen has conditioned since he began training in 2004, making him a special horse for the barn.

“He’s obviously been a flagship horse,” Yakteen said. “He’s been a joy to be around and we’ll miss him when he does retire, but we’re looking forward to his comeback and to this season.”

Fellow Grade 1-winner Deterministic [post 8, Kendrick Carmouche] will provide steep opposition as he enters from his first top-level score in the $750,000 Resorts World Casino Manhattan on June 8 here.

Trained by Miguel Clement, the son of Liam’s Map was fitting of his name last out when holding on by a head to win the nine-furlong Manhattan, fending off the oncoming Integration while 4 1/2 lengths better than multiple Grade 1-winning stablemate Far Bridge, who exited to win the Grade 2 Bowling Green here on July 12. Deterministic earned a career-best 100 Beyer for the effort.

Clement said he expects the 4-year-old colt to handle the cutback to the distance that saw him win last year’s Grade 3 Gotham over a sloppy and sealed main track at Aqueduct Racetrack.

“He’s training spectacular,” Clement said. “His weight, color, training are all great. He won the Gotham over a mile and he’s got the speed to do it. I don’t think it will be an issue.”

Deterministic has flourished since being moved to the turf last summer, never missing the board in seven outings over the lawn. He notched a pair of Grade 3 wins last year in the Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs and Hill Prince at Aqueduct, and added Belmont at the Big A’s nine-furlong Grade 2 Fort Marcy to his ledger in May when setting a course record.

Clement said he has been impressed by Deterministic’s recent works, including a half-mile in 48.04 seconds on July 6 over Saratoga’s Oklahoma turf training track.

“He’s had three very good works in a row and he’s moving great and eating phenomenal,” Clement said. “He’s very versatile and can go to the front if you want him to, or can be stalking if you need him to. Whatever Kendrick wants to do, he can do.”

Deterministic is campaigned by St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven Duncker and Vicarage Stable.

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown sends out the pair of dual Grade 1-winning New York-bred Spirit of St Louis [post 7, Manny Franco] and the up-and-coming Intellect [post 6, Flavien Prat].

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Richard Schermerhorn’s Spirit of St Louis cuts back to one mile for the first time since an even fifth in the Grade 1 Coolmore Turf Mile in October at Keeneland. The 6-year-old Medaglia d’Oro gelding is 3-for-4 at Saturday’s distance, including a trio of stakes wins last year.

Bred by Chester and Mary Broman, Spirit of St Louis notched his biggest wins this year when stepping up into the graded ranks. He captured the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational in January at Gulfstream Park two starts before a three-quarter-length annexing of the Grade 1 Turf Classic on May 3 at Churchill Downs. He enters off a flat sixth in the Manhattan, seven lengths back of Deterministic.

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Steven Bouchey’s Intellect has hit the board in each of his three starts for Brown since moving stateside from his native France. He finished third at first asking off a one-year layoff in a 1 1/16-mile allowance tilt in April at Keeneland ahead of Grade 3 runner-up efforts in the Poker and Kelso, both over course and distance.

Dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will send out Gary Barber’s Grade 1-placed My Boy Prince on the heels of a narrow loss to the late Canadian Horse of the Year Patches O’Houlihan in the Grade 2 Highlander on June 28 at Woodbine. He stalked the pace set by that rival in the six-furlong sprint and was poised to sweep past in the stretch, but Patches O’Houlihan dug in and won by a neck.

My Boy Prince stretches out from three consecutive sprint starts, including a win in the Listed Elusive Quality in May at Belmont at the Big A and a second in the Grade 1 Jaipur on June 8 here. He figures to be a pace presence as he makes his first start at a flat mile since a ninth in the Grade 3 Bryan Station in October at Keeneland.

“He likes a little bit of harder ground, so hopefully we can go awhile without rain. I think this turf course is made for him with the tighter turns,” Casse said. “He's a little athlete and he can kind of scoot around them with his speed. He's coming off the sprint races, so he's going to be up very close to the pace.”

My Boy Prince, the Sovereign Award-winner as Canada’s Champion 2-Year-Old Colt in 2023, will exit post 2 in rein to Jose Ortiz. 

Casse will also send out Live Oak Plantation’s Win for the Money [post 5, Dylan Davis] on the heels of a third to returning rival Think Big in the Grade 3 Kelso on July 5 over course and distance. The 6-year-old Mohaymen chestnut notched his lone graded score in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile last year, which saw him equal a career-best 102 Beyer.

Completing the field are last-out Grade 3 Kelso-winner Think Big [post 4, Luis Saez] for trainer Michael Stidham; three-time graded stakes-winner Neat [post 10, Junior Alvarado] for trainer Rob Atras; Grade 3-winner Lagynos [post 9, Joel Rosario] for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen; and dual graded stakes-placed Cugino [post 1, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey. 

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