JUSTIFY Justifiably a Sire on Fire

13 Nov 23

A Gr1 Breeder’s Cup Double for Super Sire JUSTIFY daughters, followed by being crowned the Sire of Champion 2YO Colt in Europe and Champion 2YO Filly in Europe it has been a huge couple of weeks for arguably the Best Young Sire in the World – JUSTIFY.

Triple Crown hero JUSTIFY made his presence felt at the Breeder’s Cup meeting at Santa Anita in the USA on Friday 4th November with his two outstanding juvenile fillies:

JUST FYI (2f Justify x Star Act, by Street Cry) and

HARD TO JUSTIFY (2f Justify x Instant Reflex, by Quality Road) both winning the Group 1 Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Filly (1700m); and Turf Juvenile Filly (1600m).

JUST FYI trained by Bill Mott for owner / breeder George Krikorian, made it three wins in as many starts when scoring a neck victory under jockey Junior Alvarado.

"By the half-mile pole, I was excited. I knew what I had under me," Alvarado said.

"At that point I thought I had a good chance at it. Right when I turned for home and I asked her, she took off very nicely and held off all the way to the wire."

JUST FYI is the best of three winners from stakes-placed Street Cry mare Star Act, a daughter of dual Group 1 winning mare Starrer, a half-sister to triple Group 1 winner Stellar Jayne.

Already a Group 1 winner, JUST F Y I is the First Breeders' Cup Winner for JUSTIFY, who didn't have to wait long for his Second Breeders' Cup Winner, when the Chad Brown trained HARD TO JUSTIFY won the Juvenile Fillies Turf (1600m).

She also made it three wins from three starts when scoring a half-length win.

A Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, HARD TO JUSTIFY is the second winner from Group 3 placed Quality Road mare Instant Reflex, a grand-daughter of stakes-winner Slow Down with Group 1 Newmarket July Cup winning sprinter Starman also on the page.

HARD TO JUSTIFY was a record sixth winner of the race for trainer Chad Brown, who said it was a simple formula; "Good horses, good clients and an amazing team."

"It's remarkable that many of the team from the first one to the sixth one are still here. She's a fighter and it's so rewarding to deliver this to the owners."

HARD TO JUSTIFY became the sixth (6th) Individual Group 1 Winner this year for JUSTIFY, who is running at 10.2% Stakes-Winners to Runner!

JUSTIFY Juveniles Take Home Top Honours at the European Cartier Awards

JUSTIFY runners swept the Cartier 2-year-old awards on Thursday with

CITY OF TROY named Champion 2-Year-Old Colt

and

OPERA SINGER named Champion 2-Year-Old Filly.

Owned by the Coolmore partners, who also bred the colt, the Aidan O’Brien trainee broke his maiden on debut on July 1 by 2 ½ lengths. Two weeks later, he made easy work of the Group 2 Superlative Stakes with a 6 ½ length romp on good to soft ground over seven furlongs.

Coming back three months later for his final start of the season, he showed that ground wasn’t a problem in the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes.

Again, running over seven furlongs on soft ground, it was clear that he could have won by even more than the 3 ½ lengths registered if jockey Ryan Moore had asked for more.

Out of Group 1 winner Together Forever, CITY OF TROY has an Uncle Mo yearling half-sister to come next year.

“We’ve been very fortunate also that this year we have an outstanding two-year-old, and we are lucky that we actually have the sire, JUSTIFY, who this year had six (6) Grade or Group One winners and four of them are two-year-olds, so we are really looking forward to next year,” said Coolmore’s Christy Grassick.

OPERA SINGER is another juvenile trained by Aidan O’Brien for Westerberg and Coolmore partnership, and she was crowned Champion 2-Year-Old Filly.

She easily broke her maiden over one mile before being runner-up by a nose when returning to seven furlongs in mid-August.

Yet another JUSTIFY juvenile who showed she could run well on a quick turnaround, OPERA SINGER made easy work of her stakes debut with a 6 ½ length romp in the Group 3 Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF Stakes two weeks later.

OPERA SINGER kicked off an incredible October and November for JUSTIFY as his first Group 1 winner of that period when destroying the competition in the Group 1 Prix Marcel Boussac.

Taking command early, the filly romped to a five-length win at Longchamp.

“OPERA SINGER is a very special filly and she’s by a very special stallion in JUSTIFY. More importantly, she was bred by a very special lady, John Magnier’s late mother Evie Stockwell, who enjoyed tremendous success with this female family.

For JUSTIFY and the team to win Champion two-year-old Colt and now Champion two-year-old Filly, really makes it a very special us and thank you from all at Coolmore and Ballydoyle,” Coolmore’s Kevin Buckley said.

Leading second crop sire in virtually every category and tied with Into Mischief at the top of the Group 1 Winners leader board with six (6), JUSTIFY has a chance to see another Champion crowned early next year with JUST F Y I looking like the top choice in the Eclipse Awards Champion 2-Year-Old Female Category in North America.

A sensational start! His top performers now include:

ARABIAN LION - winner of the Gr.1 Woody Stephens Stakes at Belmont Park & Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico. Third in the Gr.1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes

JUST F Y I - winner of the Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies & Gr.1 Frizette Stakes at Belmont @ Aqueduct

HARD TO JUSTIFY - winner of the Gr.1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf & Gr.2 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont @ Aqueduct

CITY OF TROY - Cartier Champion 2YO Colt. 3½-length winner of the Gr.1 Dewhurst Stakes & 6½-length winner of the Gr.2 Superlative Stakes at Newmarket

OPERA SINGER - Cartier Champion 2YO Filly. Winner of the Gr.1 Marcel Boussac at ParisLongchamp by 5 lengths & the Gr.3 Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF Stakes at the Curragh by 6½ lengths

ASPEN GROVE - winner of the Gr.1 Belmont Oaks & Gr.3 Newtownanner Stud Stakes at the Curragh.

In Australia, his oldest are 3yo’s: Champion First Crop Sire in Australia, by far!

His top performers include:

LEARNING TO FLY - winner of the Gr.2 Reisling Stakes, Gr.3 Widden Stakes & Listed Inglis 2YO Millennium (R).

AIR ASSAULT - winner of the Gr.3 Sires’ Produce Stakes & Listed Hill Smith Stakes.

START OF JUSTICE - winner of the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes.

LEGACIES - winner of the Listed MRC Anzac Day Stakes. Runner-up in the Gr.3 McNeil Stakes

Justify Progeny: