This Time, Johar Is Second to None

Trainer Richard Mandella’s Sunday punch is getting to be a haymaker at Santa Anita. A week ago Sunday, Mandella saddled two stakes winners -- Pleasantly Perfect and The Tin Man -- and returned seven days later to win the $150,000 Oak Tree Derby with Johar, a colt best known for his runner-up finishes.

Johar, ridden by Alex Solis for the Thoroughbred Corp., ended a five-race losing streak in which he was second three times. Johar beat Rock Opera by a nose as he ran 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46, breaking the 1:46 2/5 record set by No Slip last year.

“I was worried, because the seconds were starting to pile up for him,” Solis said. “The longer distance is what he needed.”

Inesperado, who had been undefeated in three U.S. starts, joined a long list of favorites--25 in the last 26 years--that have been beaten in this stake. Ridden by substitute jockey Kent Desormeaux, Inesperado was squeezed at the start when Sunkosi, the outside horse in an eight-horse field, broke inward at the start.

Inesperado gained position after that, but wound up fourth, behind Mananan McLir, who was beaten by almost three lengths.

This was the first stakes win for Johar, who had won a pair of races -- against maidens and in allowance company -- at Santa Anita last winter. Johar paid $7.80 as the third choice.

“This is a good horse,” Mandella said, “and I think he’ll really prosper when they go a mile and a quarter. He should also be a good older horse, because he’s been very sound.”

With Rock Opera, Laffit Pincay just missed winning the stake for the fifth time and in a fourth different decade.

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Desormeaux rode Inesperado after Corey Nakatani suffered a contusion to his back in a two-horse spill in the fifth race.

Hero’s Welcome, ridden by Garrett Gomez, broke down nearing the far turn and Nakatani’s trailing mount, Sing Because, stumbled. Hero’s Welcome was euthanized.

Gomez took off the rest of the card.

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Trainer Mel Stute is leaning toward running Buffythecenterfold in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Arlington Park on Oct. 26. Stute’s filly ran second to Composure in the Oak Leaf at Santa Anita.... Trainer Mike Smith, handling Humorous Lady for the first time, shipped the filly to Belmont Park from Santa Anita and won the $150,000 Astarita Stakes by a nose over Fast Cookie, with favored Chimichurri third.