Johannes , a son of Nyquist looking to build on his grade 1 credentials Nov. 1 in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) at Del Mar, will begin his stallion career at Claiborne Farm near Paris, Ky., following the World Championships, the farm announced Oct. 28.
The 5-year-old enters this year's Breeders' Cup with nine wins in 15 starts and earnings in excess of $1.2 million. Of those nine wins, eight wins have come in stakes company, and six were against graded stakes competition.
A 9-length maiden special weight winner sprinting 6 furlongs on the grass in 1:08.47 as a 2-year-old at Santa Anita Park, Johannes then kicked off his sophomore campaign with decisive victories in the Baffle Stakes and the Pasadena Stakes, also at Santa Anita.
Johannes, a homebred for Joe and Debby McCloskey, became a graded stakes winner at 4 with a breakthrough in the American Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita, running the mile in 1:32.08. He won next out at the highest level with a victory in the Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T), in which he earned a 113 Equibase Speed Figure—one of nine triple-digit speed ratings he'd achieve in stakes competition.
In 2024, Johannes ultimately won five of six starts, later adding the Eddie Read Stakes (G2T), City of Hope Mile Stakes (G2T), and San Gabriel Stakes (G2T) to his win column. His only defeat that season came in the Breeders' Cup Mile, where he made a bold bid to finish second by three-quarters of a length and earned a career-high 122 ESF.
Johannes comes into this year's Breeders' Cup Mile having once again secured a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series: Win and You're In berth by virtue of his victory in the City of Hope Mile, this time taking command in the stretch to win by 1 1/4 lengths and earn a 106 ESF. He owns a diverse résumé, having won at 6 furlongs in 1:08.47, 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:13.07, 1 mile in 1:32.08, and 1 1/8 miles in 1:46.50.
"When I think of Johannes, instant acceleration comes to mind," said Tim Yakteen, who trains for the McCloskey's operation. "He is a superior miler that has sprint speed as well as a wicked finishing kick. He moves like a cat and has a fantastic disposition around the barn—he's a trainer's dream."
The Kentucky-bred Johannes has been a big contributor to another strong year for Darley Stallions' Nyquist, who was the 2015 champion 2-year-old male and 2016 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner. The 12-year-old son of Uncle Mo is a top 10 sire this year by progeny earnings and the fourth-leading North American sire by graded stakes winners with 10, which includes three grade 1 winners..
Johannes is the first foal out of the stakes-placed Congrats mare Cuyathy, who has produced four winners from four foals to race. The McCloskeys bought Cuyathy, their first horse, for $50,000 at the 2014 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
"Johannes has given us the journey of a lifetime," Joe McCloskey said. "He possesses the heart and determination that is rare, and we were so blessed to have watched him grow into a phenomenal racehorse. We will miss seeing him in training, but we can't wait to see how beautiful and fast his babies will be."
Cuyathy's produce also includes the multiple stakes winner Sea Dancer (Mastery) and stakes-placed Sea Runner (Gun Runner ), as well as winner Soaring Angel (Knicks Go ), who broke her maiden on debut at Del Mar in July. Cuyathy is a half sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Join in the Dance, as well as the dam of grade 2 winner Elm Drive and stakes winner Mother of Dragons.
"Johannes is a very talented horse that has been on our radar for a while now," Claiborne's president Walker Hancock said. "His father Nyquist has proven to be an elite sire, but he doesn't have a son standing in Kentucky yet, which makes Johannes that much more appealing. He is a beautifully made horse with a strong pedigree. His dam is by Congrats, his second dam is by Devil's Bag and his third dam is by Danzig, so he has Claiborne genetics all throughout his page. The McCloskeys are wonderful people that operate in an old-school, breed-to-race way that resonates with us. It's a great fit and we couldn't be more excited to debut Johannes alongside Mindframe. I think breeders are going to love what these two new studs have to offer."
An advertised fee for Johannes will be announced after the Breeders' Cup.
