CYPRESS — His confidence shaken by a bad slump, Edwin Maldonado needed something, anything, he could count on. He got it Saturday at Los Alamitos in the familiar four-legged form of Man O Rose.
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Bouncing back from a disaster at Del Mar that typified the jockey’s recent fortunes, Man O Rose and Maldonado faced a challenge most of the way in the E.B. Johnston Stakes but pulled away late to win the race for the third year in a row.
It didn’t look as easy as bettors expected in making Man O Rose ($3.40) a heavy favorite, or as easy as when the now 6-year-old gelding won the race for California-breds by open lengths after taking clear leads in 2024 and 2025. Man O Rose won this time by 2-1/4 lengths over Speedy Wilson after fighting off third-place Mr. Disrespectful. The 1:36.13 for 1 mile made this the slowest of the three wins, mostly because of a 25.85 final quarter-mile.
But Maldonado said he never had a doubt. It may have been a while since he felt that way.
“These are the type of horses that keep you around,” Maldonado said. “It’s a tough game, up and down. I was in a little bit of a slump after leaving Del Mar, (but) we’re back in the winner’s circle, thanks to this guy here.”
A little bit? The 43-year-old Maldonado had lost with his past 51 mounts before Saturday’s victory. He went 3 for 71, a 4% win rate, and finished tied for 18th in wins during the Del Mar summer season. His percentage declined for the third major meet in a row since he went 6 for 32 (19%) and tied for eighth at the 2025 Del Mar fall meet.
“It happens to the best of us. You’ve just got to keep your head down and keep working,” said Maldonado, who has long embraced the power of positive thinking and self-help books. The good thing is, from here there’s only way (to go), up. I can’t go any lower than I was.”
In the Los Alamitos winner’s circle, Maldonado held up three fingers to the camera to mark Man O Rose’s triple success in the $75,000 E.B. Johnston.
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“It kind of lifts your spirits,” he said. “You need to win. If you’re not winning, nobody wants you.”
Bred and owned by retired oncologist Bruce Zietz of West Hills and trained by Jeff Mullins, Man O Rose won for the 13th time in 22 career starts that have taken him from sprints to miles and dirt to turf.
Last time out at Del Mar, Man O Rose was eased to a last-place finish in the Green Flash Handicap, having surprisingly been allowed to race after breaking through the starting gate, bloodying a foreleg and expending energy by running the length of the backstretch.
Man O Rose had no trouble Saturday.
The two-week Los Alamitos meet, the second of the Orange County track’s three short daytime thoroughbred seasons, ends Sunday.
Kazushi Kimura leads the jockey standings with seven wins, three more than Edgar Payeras and Armando Aguilar; Kimura has no mounts Sunday because of a suspension that allowed him to ride only Speedy Wilson in the final three days, while Pereira and Aguilar are named to ride in all nine races Sunday.
Peter Miller leads the trainer standings with four wins, one more than Jesus Uranga. Miller has a horse in one race Sunday, Uranga three.
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