From Los Alamitos Publicity
CYPRESS, Calif. (Sept. 3, 2018) —Defending champion Soi Phet is among nine nominees to the $100,000 E.B. Johnston Stakes.
Restricted to horses – 3-year-olds & up – bred or sired in California, the one-mile Johnston will be part of a stakes doubleheader Saturday, Sept. 8, the third day of the Los Angeles County Fair meet at Los Alamitos.
The Sept. 8 program will also include the $75,000 Beverly J. Lewis for 3-year-old fillies. Fifteen were nominated to that six-furlong contest, including a quartet trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert.
Trained by Leonard Powell for a partnership that includes the Benowitz Family Trust, Mathilde Powell and Paul Viskovich, Soi Phet prevailed by a half-length in the 2017 Johnston, the fourth of his five stakes successes at Los Alamitos.
Trainer Doug O’Neill nominated a pair to the Johnston, including Ann Arbor Eddie, who is 2-for-2 over the track.
A 5-year-old Square Eddie gelding owned by breeder J. Paul Reddam’s Reddam Racing LLC, Ann Arbor Eddie earned his second career win in the 2016 King Glorious Stakes locally, then won an optional claimer during the 2017 Summer Thoroughbred Festival.
The other nominees are the O’Neill-trained B Squared, seven-time winner Edwards Going Left, El Huerfano, Grecian Fire, More Power to Him, Shades of Victory and Touched by Autism.
The Baffert nominees to the Lewis are the comebacking Diamondsandpearls, a 6 ¼ length debut winner in 2017, Just a Smidge, Rayya, a Group III winner in the United Arab Emirates, and Thirteeen Squared, runner-up in the Grade II Summertime Oaks earlier this year at Santa Anita.
Jeff Bonde, who trained 2017 Lewis winner Princess Karen, nominated Ismelucky, who won the Barretts Debutante here last Sept. 16.
The other nominees are Best of Me, Broome, Dulce Ride, Dutch Mama, Fiftyeightspecial, Gas Station Sushi, winner of the Grade III Beaumont at Keeneland April 8, Naughty Sophie, Evening Jewel Stakes winner Spiced Perfection, Steph Being Steph and Wicked Storm.
Opening day for the Los Angeles County Fair meet at Los Alamitos is Thursday, Sept. 6. Entries for the Lewis and Johnston will be taken Wednesday, Sept. 5.