Still to finish worse than second in his stakes record, John Johny Jak goes up a notch in the Grade 2 Oak Tree Mile

Question

Still to finish worse than second in his stakes record, John Johny Jak goes up a notch in the Grade 2 Oak Tree Mile
After a thrilling win in the Harry F Brubaker Handicap at Del Mar on 24 August, over a distance of 1 1/16 miles on turf, the 4-year-old colt John Johny Jak, seems to have been pointed to the Grade 2, $150,000 Oak Tree Mile at Santa Anita Park on 8 October,
2011.
In the Harry F Brubaker Handicap, the son of Wildcat Heir, John Johny Jak was ridden by the two time Del Mar champion jockey, Joel Rosario, helped the colt to win by the narrowest of margins of a nove over the onrushing Norvsky.
The 24 August Del Mar featured race and the 13,296 fans witnessed the 8 to 5 favourite John Johny Jak clinch the $99,390 Brubaker Handicap where he was barely held on in the final strides by champion jockey Joel Rosario.
In preparation for the Oak Tree Mile, John Johny Jak officially worked seven furlongs at Hollywood Park on 1 October, 2011, as the colt completed the distance in 1 minute and 26.60 seconds.
John Johny Jak started participating in the stakes races in her 22nd start and he adapted to high level competition just fine, this year his first stakes race was the Mecke Stakes at Calder racecourse, as he finished second on 25 June.
Wickerr Stakes at Del Mar on turf saw John Johny Jak repeat the performance, as he propelled himself in the final stages, but came agonizingly close to winning it, he turned in a second place finish but a brilliant race he ran.
John Johny Jak was thought to be second best yet again at the highest level he has ever been, but the Kristin Mulhall trained colt decided to change the script in the final strides of the race.
The colt was stubborn and was driven by the desire to win, it showed as he overhauled the leader Norvsky and claimed the Handicap race snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Out of Pure Adrenalin by Saint Ballado, John Johny Jak will try a start in his first ever Grade 2 race, and as expected the competition will be a lot tougher than he ever endured in any other race.