Justify

Having surrendered to Ballydoyle's City Of Troy (Justify) in the Derby, the Gredleys' Ambiente Friendly (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) has more work to do taking on a crew from that establishment on their home soil in Sunday's G1 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh. While the likes of Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Jack Hobbs (GB) (Halling) have come from Epsom to successfully represent Britain in recent years, there is always that bridge to cross coming here. There is also the significant rain that...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a half-brother to Snowfall (Jpn) in a deep field of maidens at the Curragh. 13.15 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, c/g, 7fT ROCK OF CASHEL (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is the pick of Ryan Moore from a Ballydoyle trio in this maiden used by Aidan O'Brien for...

8th-CD, 120K, Msw, f, 2yo, 6f, 4:23 p.m. The top-priced filly from GI Kentucky Derby winner Authentic's first crop, TRADING SECRETS brought $800,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale last year for BC Stables LLC. Running for D. Wayne Lukas, the filly is a half to GII Woodward Stakes runner up Film Star (Flatter) and out of a half-sister to both MGSW Kid Cruz (Lemon Drop Kid) and MGSW/GISP Three Witches (Into Mischief) along with GSW Spellbound (Bernardini) and her daughter, MGSW Soothsay (Distorted Humor). This is also the family of...

OCALA, FL - The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training continued its steady course Thursday, with figures through two of the auction's three sessions in line with its 2023 statistics. During two sessions, 384 juveniles have sold for $14,402,900, with the average of $37,508 ticking up 3.1% from a year ago and the median remaining steady at $20,000. With 125 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 24.6%. Through two sessions a year ago, 410 juveniles had grossed $14,922,600 for an average of $36,397. The...

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Observations features the breeze-up topper from Goffs for the same connections as multiple Group 1-winning Vandeek. 18.10 Windsor, Novice, £9,950, 2yo, 6f 12yT ADRESTIA (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) debuts for KHK Racing and the Simon and Ed Crisford stable, who combined last year with Havana Grey's G1 Prix...

A trio of fillies shared the fastest eighth-mile time during Friday's session of the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's June Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. All three, working before a downpour delayed the tail end of the fourth session for about thirty minutes, breezed their eighth in :9.4. Out earliest of the bunch, a Florida-bred daughter of Bucchero (hip 568) consigned by Cruzin' Thoroughbreds LLC, Agent. The filly, an $8,000 yearling buy from the OBS Winter Mixed Sale last year, is a half to MSP Ek Haseena (Songandaprayer), herself the dam...

The recent Dee S. winner Capulet will leave Ballydoyle to continue his career in Hong Kong.  The son of Justify has been purchased privately by prominent owner Peter Lau, who has enjoyed phenomenal success with the globetrotting eight-time Group 1 winner Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}). It is believed that Capulet will join the stable of Romantic Warrior's trainer Danny Shum. The agreement to purchase the colt was brokered by Newmarket-based Mark McStay of Avenue Bloodstock in partnership with Hong Kong agent Eric Sze, who operates as Standard Bloodstock.  Confirming...

For the second year running, the G1 Epsom Derby winner was bred from one of Coolmore's countless Galileo (Ire) mares outcrossed to an American sire line. But whereas Sunday Silence's son Deep Impact (Jpn) gave Auguste Rodin (Ire) further turf genes from his mother's European family, City Of Troy's sire is a conduit for virtually unadulterated dirt blood. Justify's first four dams are, respectively, by grandsons of Deputy Minister, Seattle Slew, Northern Dancer and Bold Ruler. The third of those names, of course, transformed the European breed, albeit alongside other...

On the 15th anniversary of the passing of Vincent O'Brien, his successor at Ballydoyle, Aidan O'Brien, extended his record at Epsom to 10 wins in the Derby. Vincent O'Brien's daughter and son-in-law Sue and John Magnier were not at Epsom on Saturday but several of the late, great trainer's grandchildren were in the winner's circle to greet City Of Troy. Their own family is now so strongly enmeshed with the man who shares their grandfather's surname but is no relation to the creator of Ballydoyle. Just like City Of Troy,...

After successfully claiming redemption in the G1 Betfred Derby on Saturday, City of Troy (Justify) has returned to his homebase at Ballydoyle and is going well since arriving late that evening. Aidan O'Brien's stable representative Chris Armstrong gave a positive report for the Derby victor, adding that the goal is to gradually build him back up to full training. "City Of Troy obviously flew over yesterday and got back last night at 10pm. He pulled out well this morning, went out, had a hand-walk and a pick of grass, had...

EPSOM, UK -- Ryan Moore wouldn't admit to sleepless nights ahead of the Derby despite some intense speculation regarding his mount but he did concede, "It's the one race of the year that you want to win." Moore kept the faith, kept his head, and just like that Coolmore has another enticing stallion prospect.  The legend of Galileo still stalks the Epsom Downs some three years after the horse's death, and there he was again, as the broodmare sire of this year's Derby winner City Of Troy, just as he...

After all the speculation leading up to Saturday's G1 Betfred Derby, TDN Rising Star City Of Troy (Justify--Together Forever {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) gave an emphatic and euphoric answer to grace Epsom's Blue Riband with one of its finest displays. In huge contrast to Newmarket, where Ryan Moore became embroiled in a half-mile drag race, the champion juvenile of 2023 was in a hack-canter from stall one so often a disadvantage but which for this talented colt turned out a blessing. Able to let the pace play out in front...