By Bill Finley
It took every inch of the stretch for Just F Y I (Justify) to get past the well-regarded Shop Lifting (Into Mischief) in Saturday's sixth race at Saratoga, but a jump before the wire she poked her head in front, earning a victory that had her connections bullish on her future.
The six-furlong maiden special weight race with a purse of $136,000 went in 1:11.06 and Just F Y I, who is trained by Bill Mott, paid $9.50. The winning margin was a head.
“As her training progressed Bill became a lot more confident in the horse,” said winning owner-breeder George Krikorian. “He thought she had a lot of talent and she sure showed it today. That was a pretty strong group of horses that she beat. I thought she showed she could be something special. We'll just see how things move forward from here.”
Life's Joy (Mitole), who is also trained by Mott, jumped out to the early lead, but Shop Lifting, the 5-2 favorite, was never far behind. Shop Lifting had the lead at the quarter-pole and was still a length clear with a furlong to go. Just F Y I had moved up to second by mid-stretch and slowly cut into Shop Lifting's lead before gaining the lead late.
Afterward, the connections said that their filly can only get better when the races get longer.
“We wanted to run her first time out at seven furlongs but this race came up at six furlongs,” said winning rider Junior Alvarado. “When I turned for home and I asked my filly she didn't give me a sprinter's kick. She gave me more little by little, like horses who like to go long. She is so classy and so good that she got it done today.”
Krikorian owned both the dam, Star Act (Street Cry {Ire}) and the filly's grand dam, Starrer (Dynaformer). While Star Act won only two of 18 starts, Starrer was a prolific winner. She won five graded stakes, including the GI Santa Margarita H. and the GI Santa Maria H. She did her best running in route races.
“I would think this one is going to be a lot better when she runs longer distances,” Krikorian said. “Her grand dam was a stakes winner going long. I think this filly will be much better when she goes longer and she'll be more comfortable in distance races.”
Though defeated, Shop Lifting ran the type of races that suggests she, too, could have a bright future. A $475,000 Keeneland September purchase, she is trained by Tony Dutrow.
6th-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 8-26, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.06, ft, head.
JUST F Y I (f, 2, Justify–Star Act {SP, $147,605}, by Street Cry {Ire}) came into this unveiling with a bullet work Aug. 21 under her belt and proved game as they come in the lane. Chasing from fourth on the outside of rivals through the turn, she was took aim on the leaders coming into the lane and under strong urging from Junior Alvarado, produced a relentless grind to nail favorite Shop Lifting (into Mischief) by a head. Out of a stakes-placed daughter of MGISW Starrer (Dynaformer), Just F Y I hails from the female family of another accomplished set of fillies in MGISW Stellar Jayne (Wild Rush) and GISW Star Billing. This is also the family of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Uncle Benny (Declaration of War). Dam Star Act produced a 2023 full-sister to the victress and went to Life is Good for 2024. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $57,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O/B-George Krikorian (KY); T-William I. Mott.
#9 Just F Y I gets up just in time to win on debut in R6 at Saratoga! 🤩
A daughter of @coolmoreamerica stallion Justify, the 2-year-old filly is trained by Bill Mott and ridden by @JuniorandKellyA.
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/OJ15cX4Ljc
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) August 26, 2023
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