Instant success easy to JUSTIFY

22 Jul 22

The following story is about the unbelievable start to a stud career by JUSTIFY (USA).

Written by Sid Fernando - President and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and Enicks. A world-renowned thoroughbred breeding expert based in the USA and a consultant Dynamic Syndications employs and takes advice from in relation to international pedigrees.

Coolmore Stud stands American Triple Crown winner JUSTIFY, a son of Scat Daddy, never raced at two, and he famously became the first unraced 2-year-old since Apollo back in 1882 to win the Gr1 Kentucky Derby.

Midway through July, JUSTIFY is already represented by a Group 2 Winner in Europe and a Group 3 Winner in North America plus a Listed runner-up from his first crop of 2-year-olds.

As at 21st July, JUSTIFY has had 11 runners to date and his stats are amazing:

Each of his 11 runners (100%) have earned prizemoney.

4 Individual Winners & 6 Individual Placegetters + a runner that was 5th of 13 at the Curragh.

He has sired a Gr2 winning filly STATUETTE on turf at The Curragh, and JUST CINDY a Gr3 winning filly on the dirt at Saratoga, and Listed runner-up colt TAHOMA at Churchill Downs.

So far, Justify is the leading freshman (first-crop) sire by: (1) black-type winners, (2) black-type horses (three), and (3) graded/group winners, and sits second by less than $30,000 on the first-crop sire list by progeny earnings behind Spendthrift's Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), a rival on the track that he defeated by three lengths in the Gr1 Santa Anita Derby.

An incredibly quick start at stud for a physically massive and late-starting racehorse who got out to 12 furlongs (2400m) with ease in an undefeated but compressed six-start career that lasted a brief four months, from February to June at age three.

Despite size, a late track debut and the ability to run as far as 3-year-olds are asked to go on dirt in North American Group 1 races, JUSTIFY had exceptional balance and speed, his trainer Bob Baffert said "He was a big, powerful horse--he looked like a giant Quarter-Horse is what he looked like. A big, beautiful, massive, balanced horse. As big as he was, he was so light on his feet. He didn't hit the ground hard at all. He just floated over this.”

Baffert said he didn't get Justify until after the Breeders' Cup, which is why the big chestnut didn't race at two. He'd been purchased for $500,000 at Keeneland September by WinStar, China Horse Club and SF Bloodstock. According to a report in New York Times, the colt had surgery on a stifle before he was sent to Baffert.

"When I got him, he was a sound horse," Baffert said.

"My assistant Mike Marlow, who had him at Los Alamitos, kept telling me he had a really good one down there named JUSTIFY, by Scat Daddy."

In comparing Justify to Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) and champion Arrogate (Unbridled's Song), three of his best, Baffert said: "Pharoah's mechanics were extraordinary, the way he would move and the way he would work. Let's say Pharoah maybe had more speed, you know, quicker, but the thing about Pharoah and Justify, on Breeders' Cup, they could have won the Sprint, the Mile and the Classic. That's how good they were. Arrogate, he could have won only the Breeders' Cup Classic. That's the kind of horses they were. And Arrogate going a mile and a quarter, he was a beast of a horse. But Pharoah and Justify, they did things effortlessly."

Justify is out of Stage Magic, a daughter of champion Ghostzapper--another brilliantly fast racehorse who could have won the Gr1 BC Sprint and Gr1 BC Dirt Mile in addition to the Gr1 BC Classic that he did win, keeping to Baffert's analogy. As it was, Ghostzapper won the Gr1 Vosburgh at 6 1/2 furlongs (1300m) and the Gr1 Metropolitan H at a mile (1600m).

Ghostzapper, however, wasn't precocious, making only two starts at two, in November and December at that. Neither was Stage Magic, who won her first race at three, in September.

In contrast, Justify's male line - the sequence: Scat Daddy/Johannesburg/Hennessy/Storm Cat/Storm Bid - is noted for early maturity and speed, with each horse a Group 1 winner at two.

Each horse in this line except for Storm Cat also stood at Ashford (Coolmore America), and Coolmore has collected some of Scat Daddy's best sons because of its belief in the sire line.

In addition to Justify, Coolmore stands Mendelssohn, who recently had his first winners, and Caravaggio, whose oldest are three, at Ashford, and it has No Nay Never, who stood for Euro 125,000 this spring, and Sioux Nation, with first-crop juveniles, in Ireland.

All five were winners at the highest level.

Additionally, Coolmore also stands Group 1 winner Ten Sovereigns (Ire) (No Nay Never) and Group 2 winner Arizona (Ire) (No Nay Never) in Ireland.

From this group, No Nay Never, a champion first-season sire like Scat Daddy, and Caravaggio, who had 26 winners from his first crop of juveniles last year, have already emerged as sires of early maturing speed horses, and just last week each was represented by a Group 1 winner: Alcohol Free (Ire), first in the Darley July Cup S., for the former; and Tenebrism, winner of the Prix Jean Prat, for the latter.

Meanwhile, Sioux Nation has 17 first-crop 2-year-old winners so far.

Throw in Justify's two group/graded winners into the mix and this is quite a collective showing for Coolmore's young sons of Scat Daddy, who died prematurely at age 11 in 2015, but not before getting some talented sons who appear to have the ability to carry his name forward.

Both Coolmore and Baffert have played a part in Justify's early success.

STATUETTE

The filly Statuette, who won the Gr2 Airlie Stud S. at the Curragh June 26, is a homebred for the Coolmore partners and Merriebelle Stable. Her dam, Immortal Verse (Ire), by Pivotal (GB), was a multiple Group 1-winning miler who once defeated Goldikova (Ire), and she made headlines when selling for the equivalent of $8 million at Tattersalls December in 2013. Before Statuette, she produced the previously mentioned Tenebrism, who's trained like Statuette by Aidan O'Brien for the same ownership and was also a Group 1 winner at two last year.

JUST CINDY

If not for a matter of a day, Baffert would be the breeder of Just Cindy, winner of the Gr3 Schuylerville at Saratoga last Thursday for owner/breeder Fred Mitchell's Clarkland Farm and trainer Eddie Kenneally.

Baffert purchased the filly's dam, Jenda's Agenda, a stakes winner of $173,475 by Proud Citizen, for $90,000 at Keeneland November in 2018 to use for one of his breeding rights.

"I'm always looking for mares to breed because I have those stallions,” Baffert said. “She was on the small side, but she looks good. I saw a picture of her. She was a good race mare that was all speed going a mile, so I bought her."

Baffert had her covered by Justify in early 2019 and shipped her to California, where he wanted to foal her in the state-bred program.

"Come December, I thought, 'You know what, what am I doing?' I put her in Keeneland January mare sale and sent her to Kentucky and figured she has to bring $300,000. She just didn't get any action," Baffert said and the mare was passed-in for $325,000.

'Then, I get a call from Fred Mitchell. He asked me what I wanted for her, and I told him, and he said okay," said Baffert. "I bought the mare sight unseen and Fred brought the mare sight unseen, and we did the deal on a handshake, very rare these days. Fred Mitchell knows good horses and he raises them right."

The mare foaled Just Cindy on Feb. 12, and she became Justify’s first graded winner in North America, with Mitchell's Clarkland the official breeder of record.

Progeny:

WINNERS

STATUETTE (20f, Pivotal, Sadler's Wells). 2 wins from 1154m to 1207m, A$123,788, 1st Curragh Airlie Stud S., Gr.2

JUST CINDY (20f, Proud Citizen, Menifee). 2 wins from 1100m to 1200m, A$238,865, 1st Saratoga Schuylerville S., Gr.3

TAHOMA

Tahoma (20c, Rahy, Danehill Dancer). Winner at 900m, A$85,493, Santa Anita Maiden Special Weight, 2nd Santa Anita Futurity (2YO), LR

PROVE RIGHT

Prove Right (20c, Harlan's Holiday, Banker's Gold). Winner at 1100m, A$83,341 Churchill Downs Maiden Special Weight,

Placed

Im Just Kiddin (20f, Lemon Drop Kid, Storm Cat). Placed, $25,667 1:0-1-0 Saratgoga

Just an Angel (20f, Proud Citizen, Langfuhr). Placed, $34,033 1:0-1-0 Churchill Downs

Justafever (20c, Borrego, Major Impact). Placed, $34,108 1:0-1-0 Churchill Downs

Unless (20f, Galileo, Storm Cat). Placed, 2:0-0-2
     3rd Leopardstown Irish Stallion Farms 2YO Fillies Maiden S.
     3rd Curragh Barberstown Castle Irish EBF 2YO Fillies Maiden

Dame Kiri (20f, Galileo, Danehill Dancer). Placed, 1:0-0-1
     3rd Leopardstown Irish Stallion Farms EBF 2YO Fillies Maiden

Jordan (20f, Indian Charlie, A.P. Indy). Placed, $12,472 2:0-0-1

Unplaced

Aspen Grove (20f, More Than Ready, Street Cry). Raced twice - (5th of 13 Curragh)

It’s no surprise to the team at Dynamic Syndications that JUSTIFY (USA) is off to a flying start.

JUSTIFY

We believe in the Scat Daddy sireline and its ability to work in Australia.

SCAT DADDY

We purchased a yearling last year by Caravaggio a son of Scat Daddy who is a current 2yo. Named Baroque Road he won on debut at Randwick for his ownership team.

BAROQUE ROAD

We backed up bullishly this year into JUSTIFY buying three yearlings by the incredible racehorse now brilliant sire.

His oldest here in Australia are yearlings and will be first crop 2yo’s later this year.

Ex PICKIN' TIME

We purchased a filly ex PICKIN’ TIME (A stakes-placed mare by Fastnet Rock) (SOLD OUT)

ex SAVAPINSKI

We purchased a colt ex SAVAPINSKI (A Gr2 Winning mare by Savabeel) (SOLD OUT)

ex TINGU (FR)

We purchased a filly ex TINGU (FR) (A winner in France from the Galileo Line).

This filly is being trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.

Importantly she has a brilliant Black-type pedigree and is closely related to Justify’s Gr2 Winner STATUETTE and is bred on the same cross as his debutant placegetters Unless and Dame Kiri.

This filly is bred to aim at the classic races leading up to be a potential Oaks Contender.

There is no guesswork here.

The Sire is on Fire !

She has broken-in like a star of the future, and has the brilliance of her trainers to polish her into an elite candidate.

She display’s pedigree, performance, bone, muscle and potential and hails from the “Best Family” developed by Coolmore Stud in the past two decades.

Hence our business philosophy – “Race The Best, With The Best”

“You don’t buy into fillies like this – you invest!”

The upside here on a filly bred like this is enormous.

JUSTIFY x TINGU Filly

5% Shares are $13,300 inc GST and includes ALL COSTS from purchase to 30 June 22.

Just have a look at this filly for yourself !