Trainer Mike Johnson Knows a Good Horse in McCraken

Since his high-water mark as a trainer when Drogue scored a record-setting nine-length victory in the $100,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses Jan. 11, 2014 at Oaklawn Park, Mike Johnson has won only three races.

Still, Johnson has kept some fast company the last 39 1/2 months.

The 40-year-old horseman freelances as an exercise rider, and galloped eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah   before his victories in the $750,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) and $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) in 2015 at Oaklawn.

Last year, Johnson also regularly galloped the Ian Wilkes-trained McCraken, among the favorites for the May 6 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) at Churchill Downs.

Johnson said he was aboard the son of Ghostzapper   from approximately mid-August until just after the colt's victory in the $200,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) Nov. 26 at Churchill, his third in as many starts under the Twin Spires.

"He was a cool horse to gallop," Johnson said. "He was a real kind horse to gallop, but in another way, kind of a knucklehead going back and forth to the track and just backing up. He was just a colt, tried to play. Me, being a bigger guy and a little bit stronger, I could handle him a little better."

Johnson, who weighs 160 pounds, said his 20-year friendship with Wilkes led to galloping McCraken. He met Wilkes through retired trainer Pete Vestal, now a clocker at Churchill.

Before going out on his own in late 2006, Johnson was an assistant to Vestal when he was stabled at Churchill near Wilkes' mentor, Hall of Fame trainer Carl Nafzger.

"When we would go to Saratoga, they would ship the better horses to run in stakes and I would get on those," Johnson said. "The first horse I ever got on for them was named Mayo On the Side. She was a nice, nice filly."

Mayo On the Side was a grade 1 winner of $642,366 in 2001-2004.

Johnson, who is based at Churchill after the Oaklawn meeting ends in April, said he reached out to Wilkes last summer because he was getting a little low on horses.

"I asked Ian if he needed me to get on any," Johnson said. "Just needed to make some extra money. He said, 'Mike, there's a couple of colts that I have that are a little bit much. They're not rank, but they're just colts.' I didn't really get either one of the names. I just told him, 'Yeah, I'll be over there in the morning.'"

One of the 2-year-olds was Whitham Thoroughbred's homebred McCraken, who wouldn't debut until Oct. 2 at Churchill. The colt won his debut sprinting by 2 1/2 lengths, then stretched out to win the $80,000 Street Sense Stakes Oct. 30 at Churchill by 3 3/4 lengths, and the Kentucky Jockey Club by 1 1/4 lengths to complete a 3-for-3 juvenile campaign.

"After the first race, I think everybody knew he could run," Johnson said.

"A lot of people ask me: 'How do you know you're on a good horse?' It's kind of like being around a good football player versus just a middle of the road football player. They've got kind of a presence about them."

Johnson said McCraken excelled because he's a good mover and possesses the ability to conserve energy during his races.

"He can turn his engine on and off pretty easy, as far as 'this is when I need to do it and this is when I don't need to do it,'" Johnson said. "That's a sign of a good horse. The ones that just go out there and run until they can't, that's not a very good situation."

After winning his 3-year-old debut in track-record time, the $250,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) Feb. 11 at Tampa Bay Downs, McCraken was scheduled to run in the $350,000 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby (G2) March 11 at Tampa Bay Downs, but missed the race with a minor ankle strain. He suffered his first loss in the $1 million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) April 8 at Keeneland.

Johnson said McCraken looked a little fresh in the Blue Grass and needed the race, adding he appears "bigger and stronger" physically than he did in November.

Johnson said he'll "definitely" be rooting for Wilkes on the first Saturday in May.

"He's a good friend, and that's a good horse," said Johnson, who has a 106-acre farm near Star City, Ark. "Ian's helped me through my training career, too, as far as giving me an owner or two. He's always been there to help me. Any time I have to call Ian at midnight, he would be there to help."