ARCADIA – Lighting does strike twice. It’s just a long shot the second time.
Cabo Spirit and and jockey Abel Cedillo went straight to the lead and held it for the whole 1 1/4 miles to win the the $750,000, Grade II California Crown John Henry Turf Championship for trainer George Papaprodromou at 24-1 odds Saturday at Santa Anita.
It was a near copy of Balladeer’s gate-to-wire victory in the 2023 John Henry Turf Championship for Papaprodromou, the main differences being that last time the race was worth just $200,000 and the winner’s odds were a modest 6-1.
Five-year-old Cabo Spirit, winless in 11 starts since 2022, prevailed by a length over There Goes Harvard, while favorite Divin Propos finished sixth.
Papaprodromou hadn’t tried Cabo Spirit beyond 1 1/8 miles before.
“I was a little concerned (about the distance Saturday), but I know the horse, he can run forever,” Papaprodromou said. “Today I said to Abel, ‘Just put him on the lead, I don’t care. And make it last.’”
Paprodromou brushed off a question about which races he’ll consider next for Cabo Spirit, options that could include the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 2.
“I don’t know yet,” he said. “Today is my day.”
The $51.20 win payoff was the biggest on California Crown day, a 10-race card featuring five stakes worth $2.8 million as well as musical acts and better-than-racetrack-quality dining.
In other races:
• Johannes, California’s leading turf horse, lived up to his 4-5 odds in the $200,000 City of Hope Mile, surviving a stewards’ inquiry into a bumpy stretch run to win by more than a length over Almendares and Conclude.
Johannes’ fourth win in a row, all with jockey Umberto Rispoli, set up the 4-year-old colt trained by Tim Yakteen for a shot at the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile on turf, also Nov. 2 at Del Mar.
“It was horse racing,” Rispoli said of the bumping with Conclude. “We just brushed each other, nothing too big.”
• First Peace was another reliable favorite, rallying with jockey Mike Smith along the rail to win at 19-10 odds in the $750,000, Grade II California Crown Eddie D. Stakes.
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The win in an about-6 1/2-furlong hillside turf sprint was the first of the day for Smith, who won the main event later with Subsanador in the $1 million California Crown Stakes.
The race could be a prep for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint Nov. 2 at Del Mar, but the distance of that race isn’t ideal for 4-year-old First Peace.
“I know 5 furlongs isn’t his gig,” trainer Mark Glatt said in the winner’s circle.
• Toupie ($4) and Flavien Prat led from the start to beat 11 other 3-year-old fillies in the $100,000 Unzip Me Stakes, a downhill turf sprint of about 6 1/2 furlongs.
Toupie, a Graham Motion-trained stakes champion in New York and Maryland, was the only winner from out of state on California Crown day.