Justify

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 Saturday running at Hanshin Racecourse: Saturday, April 4, 2026 1st-HSN, ¥11,280,000 ($71k), Maiden, 3yo, f, 1800m PETRICHOR (JPN) (f, 3, Justify--Nicest {Ire}, by American Pharoah) just failed to overcome gate 14 of 16 on Kyoto debut going this trip on Jan. 11, finishing...

Well, just take a look at the video--and then show us a horse more eligible for stardom, the year the soccer World Cup comes to America. As a yearling, he would roll a beach ball around his paddock 45 minutes at a time. Using his feet, his nose, arching his body. As a rule, other youngsters on the farm do no more than pick it up with their teeth, shake it. "And that kind of gives you the essence of this colt," Kris Gibbons suggests. "We just want to stop...

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 weekend running at Chukyo, Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses: Saturday, March 21, 2026 11th-CKO, Falcon S.-G3, ¥77,300,000 ($488k), 3yo, 1400mT PRINCESS MOKO (f, 3, Charlatan--Tiger Ride, by Candy Ride {Arg}) validated 7-10 favoritism in graduating first time out on the dirt at Kyoto last...

STAR ACTRESS (f, 3, Justify--Star Act {SP, $147,605}, by Street Cry {Ire}) was unveiled Feb. 8 at this venue trying a seven-furlong maiden race on the main track, and despite a wide trip, closed ferociously late to claim second by a half-length. Back here as the 3-5 favorite with added real estate to work with, Star Actress went one better while stalking the pace from much closer. Improving her position down the backstretch  to come even with the pacesetter and another challenger by the half-mile marker, she was vying for...

4th-GP, $84k, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 2:19 p.m. ET. Star Actress (Justify), a full-sister to champion 2-year-old filly and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Just F Y I, stretches to two turns for her second career start for Bill Mott. The George Krikorian homebred rallied from seventh to finish a close second on debut going seven furlongs at Gulfstream Feb. 8. She earned a 73 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort. The aforementioned Just F Y I brought $4.5 million from Katsumi Yoshida at the 2025 Fasig-Tipton November...

With an elite-level victory under his belt, jockey Diego Herrera will move his tack east to set up at Gulfstream Park in South Florida, the track announced Sunday afternoon. The 21-year-old Herrera was the pilot aboard British Isles (Justify) last Saturday when the gelding pulled the upset to take home the Big Cap. An Inglewood, CA native, he's also won the 2025 GIII Cecil B. DeMille on Unrivaled Time (Not This Time) and the 2024 GIII Autumn Miss Stakes with Watchtower (Demarchelier {GB}). His move comes after Herrera traveled to...

It is, of course, a good thing, that the subjects of aftercare and slaughter are being so widely debated, with influential owners like Mike Repole and Aron Wellman all but demanding that the industry come together and solve the problem. Just last week, Pat Cummings, who has been working side-by-side with Repole on the issue, penned a letter to the TDN in which he revealed what he called "20 concise findings, with a funding model projection" that he and Repole have put together. Good for Cummings. Good for Repole. Owner...

Slam Dunk Racing, Deborah Baltas, and Cynthia McClanahan's British Isles (g, 5, Justify--Purely Hot, by Pure Prize), a private purchase by the team from Coolmore connections two years ago, has spent the majority of his 24-race career in allowance company, but took full advantage of the scratched-down field of five in Saturday's GI Santa Anita Handicap in Arcadia to emerge a winner at the elite level. It was not just the big blazed-faced chestnut's first Grade I win, but also his first black-type victory. Leaving from the outermost post, British...

A trio of mares bred to MGISW & 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Locked (by Gun Runner) are his first to have checked in foal, according to a press release from Gainesway Farm on Tuesday. She Be Boss (City of Light) is out of GSW Nellie Cashman (Mineshaft), and is a full-sister to GSP Cassiar and half-sister to GISP Bendoog (Gun Runner). Her first foal, She Be Boss is owned by Nathan McCauley's River Oak Farm. Also in foal is GISW Funny Moon (Malibu Moon) who is owned by...

5th-TAM, $55k, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, post time: 2:49 p.m. ET HUMILITY (Justify) fetched $400,000 as a short yearling at the 2024 Keeneland January Sale and returned for that auction house's September Sale to bring $1 million from the partnership of CHC, Maverick Racing and Siena Racing. A half-brother to a pair of black-type runners, the May 20 foal is out of a half-sister to Negligee (Northern Afleet), champion of her generation in Canada in 2009 and winner of that year's GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes. Peter Brant's Arizona Territory (Tapit)...

4th-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:49 p.m. ET. Star Actress (Justify), a full-sister to champion 2-year-old filly and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Just F Y I, gets her career started for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. The George Krikorian homebred will exit from post one with Junior Alvarado in the irons. She worked five furlongs from the gate in 1:03 (1/3) at Payson Park Jan. 23. The aforementioned Just F Y I brought $4.5 million from Katsumi Yoshida at the 2025 Fasig-Tipton November sale. TJCIS PPS

Aga Khan homebred Ezeliya delivered her first foal on Sunday, according to a post from The Aga Khan Studs on X. By Dubawi, the 2024 G1 Oaks heroine foaled a chestnut Justify filly. She will visit Sea The Stars at Gilltown Stud in Ireland later this year. The G3 Salsabil Stakes-winning daughter of group winner and G1 Irish Oaks third Eziyra (Teofilo), Ezeliya is a granddaughter of the stakes-placed Eytarna (Dubai Destination). The extended family of Ezeliya features G1 Gold Cup heroine Estimate (Monsun), who raced for the late Queen...