Justify

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. Thursday's Observations features a seven-figure yearling at Newmarket. 13.50 Newmarket, Mdn, £10,000, 2yo, c/g, 8fT DUKE'S COMMAND (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is one of the key members of a fascinating cast to one of Britain's most intriguing maidens to be staged this year, being a 1.6million gns Tatts Book 1...

Big Rock (Fr) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) has exited the G1 Prix du Moulin in good order and will aim for the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on QIPCO British Champions Day, according to trainer Christopher Head. Successful in a listed race in March, the Yeguada Centurion homebred added the G3 Prix la Force and G3 Prix de Guiche in successive months. He has finished second in his last three races, all at Group 1 level--the Prix du Jockey Club, the Prix Jacques le Marois, and the Prix du Moulin,...

LEXINGTON, KY - The Keeneland September Yearling Sale continued to produce steady, competitive bidding as the 12-day auction's Book 3 section concluded Sunday in Lexington. A total of 562 yearlings sold during the two Book 3 sessions for a gross of $86,894,000. The Book 3 average was $152,251--down 4.0% from last year's corresponding figure--and the median fell 8.0% to $115,000. During last year's Book 3 section, 573 yearlings grossed $90,919,500 for an average of $158,673 and a median of $125,000. A colt by Constitution brought the section's top price when...

Grade I winners and 'TDN Rising Stars' Taiba (Gun Runner) and Arabian Lion (Justify) will join Zandon (Upstart) and stand at Spendthrift Farm for the 2024 breeding season. Spendthrift announced the news Saturday. "We are really excited to be bringing in three new stallion prospects of the caliber of Taiba, Arabian Lion and Zandon for the 2024 breeding season," said Spendthrift general manager Ned Toffey. "All three are superior physicals, and all three displayed immense talent in winning some of America's biggest 3-year-old races on dirt. Obviously, the Breeders' Cup...

The name of brilliant 2yo Dundalk winner (and later G2-second) Capulet (Justify) gets one thinking, with the obvious connection to the famous tale of Romeo and Juliet. It also makes perfect sense that the dam is called Wedding Vow (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}): Shakespeare's play is very much about the tragic conflict between two different matrimonial projects--the arranged marriage of Juliet with older man Count Paris versus the young girl's unlikely and passionate love for her "only hate" Romeo Montague. The play could very well be re-titled "Two Weddings and Five...

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. Wednesday's Observations features a daughter of Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). 13.15 Punchestown, Mdn, €15,000, 2yo, f, 7fT GREENFINCH (Justify) is the eighth foal out of the accomplished Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), heroine of four Group 1 races including the Irish 1000 Guineas, and therefore a...

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. Tuesday's Insights features a half to G1 Irish Derby winner Santiago (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}). 15.50 Galway, Mdn, €16,000, 2yo, 8f 123yT GROSVENOR SQUARE (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) starts out in the maiden in which fellow Ballydoyle representative Alexandroupolis (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) earned TDN Rising Star status 12 months ago and...

The promising 2-eary-old filly Kenwick (Bernardini) may have won in Pennsylvania, but her pedigree shouts Lexington KY from the very rooftops of two local neighborhoods. Kenwick is a central residential area of the city, while Bell Court, as in the dam's name, is an almost adjacent zone, closer to downtown. Both areas have an Old America feel to them: nothing fake, nothing too gentrified, just authentic, with a touch of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" ambiance. There is in fact a small theatre in the Bell House in Bell Court: the...

Sunday's G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National S. at The Curragh was denied the participation of the star turn City Of Troy (Justify) after Aidan O'Brien opted to withdraw the G2 Superlative S.-winning TDN Rising Star. Following the disappointing run of the stable's Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the preceding G1 Moyglare Stud S., the ground was deemed too easy for the exciting juvenile. The Curragh was officially good-to-yielding after heavy rain before racing. Ryan Moore switches to fellow TDN Rising Star Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the G2 Futurity...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hanshin and Nakayama Racecourses: Saturday, September 9, 2023 4th-HSN, ¥13,720,000 ($93k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m LUDIQUE (c, 2, Into Mischief--Miss Besilu, by Medaglia d'Oro), whose dam was third in the GI Alabama S. and GI CCA Oaks in 2014 and was...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - In his second career start Saturday, General Partner (Speightstown) was really ready for prime time at Saratoga Race Course. While it wasn't exactly a led-from-gate-to-wire performance, General Partner was in front quickly under Manny Franco. He was never seriously challenged and won the seven-furlong maiden special weight race for 2-year-olds a solid four lengths in front of the favorite Dive Bomber (Omaha Beach). Klaravich Stables's chestnut colt reached the wire in 1:22.33. General Partner debuted for trainer Chad Brown at six furlongs on July 22 and...

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...