By Stefanie Grimm
When Hall of Famer Bob Baffert debuts a well-bred 2-year-old colt at Del Mar's summer meeting, the horse racing world pauses to pay attention. Taking money opposite the MyRacehorse entry of A Day to Remember (American Pharoah), Heartland (Justify) proved his mettle with a near last-to-first effort to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star'.
Off at 4-5 as the gates opened, the race looked like it may be over for the colt before it even began when Heartland ducked to the inside in the opening strides and nearly unseated jockey Juan Hernandez. Now racing next to last as the field carried on up front, the Baffert trainee never looked panicked, rating nicely through an opening quarter in :21.23 set by Slider (Jimmy Creed) and A Day to Remember racing in tandem. Still with just one horse beat into the far turn, Heartland began to make up ground, first overtaking the second flight of Invincible (Uncle Mo) and Head Lad (St Patrick's Day) before spinning through a wide gap along the fence to draw even with the pacesetters a furlong from the wire. Doing his best running late, Heartland cruised by Slider and opened up for the decisive victory before galloping out a mile ahead of the competition.
The seventh 'Rising Star' for second-crop sire Justify, who was a 'Rising Star' himself, Heartland will surely seek to follow in the footsteps of his half-brother, champion 2-year-old colt, MGISW, and young sire Classic Empire (Pioneerof the Nile). Sambuca Classica, herself a daughter of SW/MGISP In Her Glory, is also responsible for Exclamation Point (Concord Point), SP, $290,540, Anytime Magic (Fusaichi Pegasus), MSW, $202,945 and Uptown Twirl (Twirling Candy), MSW, $170,714. More recently, she foaled a yearling filly from the first crop of Eclipse Champion older dirt male Improbable (City Zip) but failed to report a foal this year when bred to Quality Road. She was part of the first book of mares to visit MGISW Life Is Good (Into Mischief) for a 2024 foal.
1st-Del Mar, $82,500, Msw, 7-29, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:03.20, ft, 2 lengths.
HEARTLAND, c, 2, Justify
1st Dam: Sambuca Classica, by Cat Thief
2nd Dam: In Her Glory, by Miswaki
3rd Dam: Forever Waving, by Hoist the Flag
Sales History: $575,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-CHC INC., Siena Farm LLC and WinStar Farm LLC; B-Chc Inc. (KY); T-Bob Baffert.
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