Justify

Sunday Insight: With Purple Lines Underneath, Filly Carries Whisper Hill Flag Into Battle

5th-GP, $94K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, 2:14 p.m. ET. JUST SILVIA (Justify) is set for her unveiling under Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. A Whisper Hill homebred, Mandy Pope went to $1.4 million at the 2016 Keeneland November Sale to acquire the filly's dam Princesa Silvia (Medaglian d'Oro), who is a full-sister to MGISP Miss Besilu. Pope's buy has purple bloodlines that do not stop there. She hails from a strong female family which includes her half-brothers, Horse of the Year Saint Liam (Saint Ballado) and GISW Funtastic (More...

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Constitution's Shin Believe Returns at Chukyo

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this Sunday and Monday running at Chukyo Racecourse: Sunday, January 5, 2025 3rd-CKO, ¥10,600,000 ($67k), Maiden, 3yo, 1900m HUG (JPN) (c, 3, Justify--Fleet Bertie, by Afleet Alex) made a single visit to the races as a 2-year-old, finishing a good second over 1800 meters...

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Into Mischief Has A Bold Mission For 2025

Even now, having broken his own record haul to secure a sixth consecutive general sires' championship, we cannot quite call him another Bold Ruler. But if Into Mischief can extend his reign through 2025, so matching the sequence achieved by the Claiborne legend between 1963 and 1969, he will give formal gilding to his status as the stallion who best defines our epoch. Bold Ruler actually added an eighth title in 1973, but that modern record--we must leave Lexington's 19th century career as a bewildering case apart--does not feel secure...

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Dark Angel Delivers First Sires' Championship for Yeomanstown Stud

"He's been everything to us," was the sign-off from Gay O'Callaghan in this must-read TDN feature from Emma Berry, who had a golden opportunity during the Tattersalls December Sale to sit down with the Yeomanstown Stud patriarch, as well as his sons David, Guy and Robert, to discuss the remarkable story of their homegrown hero, Dark Angel (Ire). If you're one of the few who haven't read the piece already, then I urge you to correct that misdemeanour before we see in the new year, but first stick with me...

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Thursday Insights: Fasig-Tipton October Topper Faces GSP Stablemate

2nd-SA, $60K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 2:30 p.m. ET SAN SABA (Justify) topped last year's Fasig-Tipton October Sale on a bid of $725,000 and has drawn the outside in this field of seven. John Velazquez has the call aboard the May 8 foal, whose dam Arienza (Giant's Causeway) finished second in the 2011 GII Fantasy Stakes. The latter is a daughter of 2002 Horse of the Year and treble champion older female Azeri (Jade Hunter), the dam of the talented MGSW/GISP Wine Princess (Ghostzapper) and granddam of GSW Smokin'...

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Stage is Set For Another Gunther Masterclass

In those days, everything on the waterfront was done by hand. John Gunther especially remembers the 120lbs sacks of flour he had to haul onto Russian ships, month after month. But then the one thing he could always do was work. Back in Alberta, on the farm where he was raised, he would shift 10,000 bales of hay every summer. Yet he has only ever been wiry in build. There has plainly always been some other source of strength. In the Latin phrase, multum in parvo: he condenses "much into...

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Derby Victory Of City Of Troy Named World Pool's Moment Of The Year

The G1 Derby win of City Of Troy (Justify) at Epsom in the spring was voted the World Pool Moment of the Year by the public. A total of 48% votes were received for the moment. The £4,000 prize goes to City Of Troy's groom, David Hickey, who has received--along with three friends--a VIP trip to Hong Kong in 2025. Hickey said, "Winning the £4,000 World Pool Moment of the Day was a huge reward, so to be named Moment of the Year is even more special and I'm now...

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Justify's Grand Job Remains Undefeated in U.S. with Emphatic Churchill Win

7th-Churchill Downs, $123,355, Alw, 12-1, (NW1X), 3yo/up, f/m, 1m, 1:34.18, ft, 8 1/4 lengths. GRAND JOB (f, 3, Justify--Sure Route {GB} {MSP, $201,163}, by Ishiguru), runner up in three of four starts in Ireland last season, marked her U.S. debut with an easy six-length win going seven-eighths at the Big A Oct. 31. The well-supported 1-2 favorite adding another furlong, the bay went to the front and extended her advantage throughout, winning by 8 1/4 lengths over Viable (Curlin). The winner is a half-sister to Divine Image (Scat Daddy), Hwt.-UAE-...

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War of Will's Will Then Upsets Jimmy Durante, Becomes Sire's First Black Type Winner

With the scratch of 8-5 favorite Supa Speed (Justify) at the gate, it was a 10-1 longshot who took advantage of the delay as Will Then (f, 2, War of Will--Remember Then, by Pulpit) exploded down the middle of the course to take the GIII Jimmy Durante Stakes at Del Mar. Will Then was last seen Oct. 26 breaking her maiden up north at Woodbine on their turf course but before that did not find the Kentucky Downs course to her liking, finishing 10th on debut Aug. 31. In no...

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Well-Bred Filly Looks To Give Justify Another Japanese Winner

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Kyoto Racecourses: Saturday, November 30, 2024 5th-CKO, ¥13,720,000 ($92k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m JUNE ARTEMIS (f, 2, Quality Road--Sustainable, by Forestry), a $325,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Yoshikawa Holdings, is out of a two-time stakes-placed half-sister to...

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Deep Manhattan A Thanksgiving 'Rising Star' For Justify

The outside post at Fair Grounds proved no issue for first-time starter Deep Manhattan (Justify) who put in a powerful stretch drive to become a Thanksgiving 'TDN Rising Star' for super-sire Justify. Away smartly from post 12, the 3-1 second choice had plenty of early pace past the wire the first time but was outrun by a handful of rivals along the fence into the first turn and opted to take back to rate off longshot frontrunner Sand Cast (The Factor). Shifting down to be three, then two wide into...

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Champions Dream Retired to Pleasant Acres Stallions

'TDN Rising Star' Champions Dream (Justify--Dancinginherdreams, by Tapit), winner of the 2022 GIII Nashua Stakes, has been retired and will his stand his first season at stud at Pleasant Acres Stallions in Florida in 2025. He will stand for a fee of $5,000. "It's always a great day when a talented and well-bred stallion arrives at Pleasant Acres Stallions. When a graded-stakes winning, 'TDN Rising Star,' son of Justify arrives, you can imagine our excitement," said Christine Jones, Director of Stallion Services at Pleasant Acres Stallions. "Champions Dream has an...

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