By Alan Carasso
It was a pretty decent Wednesday afternoon for Alex Bregman, all things considered.
He had a single and a double from his first three at-bats as his AL West leading Houston Astros built a big lead against NL East front-runner Philadelphia Phillies, and up at Saratoga, his 2-year-old filly Totally Justified (Justify) donned cap and gown in the $150,000 P. G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga.
A well-backed 63-10 trying stakes and turf for the first time, the $285,000 Keeneland September yearling bounced nicely from gate six in a field of eight and settled just off the flank of pacesetting Second Chance (The Factor) through easy fractions of :24.80 and :50.28, as heavily favored Virgin Colada (More Than Ready) was ridden confidently a few lengths behind.
The latter lost some position approaching the entry to the second turn as Totally Justified waited for jockey Manny Franco to call on her for her best, and she came calling for the lead outside Second Chance with a bit more than a furlong to race. Virgin Colada, produced very wide off the final corner, took a belated run at her, but it was all too late, as Totally Justified boxed on well for the victory. Reining Flowers (Midnight Storm) also closed off strongly to be third.
Winning trainer Rusty Arnold admitted to needing a bit of arm-twisting for Totally Justified to even make the trip to Saratoga.
“We were going to get her on the turf in her next start and we were kind of pointing for a maiden race at Kentucky Downs,” he said. “Alex Bregman said, 'You know Rusty, we might not get in.' He was right, and it was kind of a lottery to get in down there.
“He said, 'I think if this stake doesn't overfill, our numbers fit and I'd like to take her to New York.' I said, 'If you don't mind going and you don't mind running a maiden in a stake, I don't mind going.' I'm kind of old school and you don't do a lot of that, but her races were good and we were expecting a big jump in her when she went onto the turf. We sent her up there and we weren't even sure she'd get in here.”
Outstanding, a listed winner and Group 3-placed in Europe before finishing third to Lady Eli (Divine Park) in the 2015 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes, is a full-sister to Magician (Ire), winner of the 2013 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and upset winner of that year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf; and to Joseph Allen's Apple Betty (Ire), a listed winner in France for Jean-Claude Rouget and victorious in Keeneland's GIII Dowager Stakes for Shug McGaughey in 2017. The mare is represented by a full-sister to Totally Justified born this year and was most recently bred to Epicenter.
The cross of Justify over Galileo mares has resulted in 27 winners overall, now seven of those stakes winners, including the likes of champion City of Troy, multiple Grade II winner Buchu and Group 3 winner Red Riding Hood (Ire). Dual Group 1 winner Opera Singer is out of a mare by Galileo's sire Sadler's Wells.
P. G. JOHNSON S., $150,000, Saratoga, 8-28, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.87, fm.
1–TOTALLY JUSTIFIED, 118, f, 2, by Justify
1st Dam: Outstanding (Ire) (SW & GSP-Ire, GISP-US, $180,016), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Absolutelyfabulous (Ire), by Mozart (Ire)
3rd Dam: Lady Windermere (Ire), by Lake Coniston (Ire)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. ($285,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Bregman Family Racing LLC; B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY); T-George R Arnold II; J-Manuel Franco. $82,500. Lifetime Record: 3-1-0-1, $95,305. *1/2 to Masteroffoxhounds (War Front), MGSW & GISP, $675,457.
2–Virgin Colada, 122, f, 2, More Than Ready–Episcopal, by Carpe Diem. 1ST BLACK-TYPE. ($275,000 RNA Ylg '23 FTSAUG; $110,000 Ylg '23 FTKOCT). O-Resolute Racing; B-Fred W Hertrich lll & John D Fielding (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $30,000.
3–Reining Flowers, 122, f, 2, Midnight Storm–Mi Fiori, by Congrats. 1ST BLACK-TYPE. O-Four G Racing LLC; B-4 G Racing LLC (KY); T-John Alexander Ortiz. $18,000.
Margins: HF, NK, 2HF. Odds: 6.30, 0.80, 6.40.
Also Ran: Merry and Bright, She's Our Tiz, Lemonpeppasteppa, Lady Orient, Second Chance. Scratched: Fortuna Mia, Good Conduct. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
TOTALLY JUSTIFIED, the 2YO daughter of @coolmoreamerica stallion Justify, wins the P.G. Johnson Stakes at 6-1 with @jockeyfranco aboard for trainer Rusty Arnold and owner @ABREG_1! pic.twitter.com/bZvSJMjM1f
— NYRA (🎪) (@TheNYRA) August 28, 2024
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