5th-Fair Grounds, $60,000, Alw (NW2$X), Opt. Clm ($50,000), 1-2, 4yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:09.61, ft, 3 1/4 lengths.
JUSTIQUE (m, 5, Justify–Grazie Mille, by Bernardini), named a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut for John Shirreffs, was a stakes winner and Grade II placed back in 2022 and added a pair of graded placings on the main track as a sophomore before a switch to the grass. Despite not getting her picture taken in eight tries over the surface, the $725,000 KEESEP yearling hit the board in the GIII Megahertz Stakes and GIII Royal Heroine Stakes and was last seen finishing sixth in the Osunitas Stakes last July. Among a handful of this owner's horses sent to Cherie DeVaux, Justique was the 4-5 chalk cutting back and returning to the dirt here. Hard held near the tail of this compact field down the back, Justique was given her head and made a menacing move three wide nearing the entrance to the stretch. Roused to the lead with a furlong to race, she drifted out fractionally but had 3 1/4 lengths on her competition at the wire. A half-sister to Mo Town (Uncle Mo), GISW, $519,600, and to the dam of SW West Memorial (Caracaro), Justique is out of a winning half-sister to SW & GSP Jaguar Paw (Giant's Causeway) and SW & MGSP Venetian Mask (Pulpit). The dam of an as-yet unnamed 3-year-old filly by the Gunther-bred Justify, Grazie Mille was most recently bred to Into Mischief. Sales history: $725,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: SW & MGSP, 16-3-2-4, $282,540. Click for the Equibase.com chart.
O-C R K Stable LLC; B-John D Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux.
Justique moves to the Midwest and returns to racing a winner in R5 at @fairgroundsnola for trainer @reredevaux with jockey @jose93_ortiz in the saddle! 🤩
🎥 TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/ASY8OJnqNf
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) January 2, 2025
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
