Dubbed a 'TDN Rising Star' for her ultra-impressive last-to-first effort on debut when sprinting at Del Mar July 31, Justique had to settle for third as the beaten favorite in her jump up to graded-stakes company in the GII Chandelier S. behind GISW And Tell Me Nolies (Arrogate). The half-sister to GISW and top-10 freshman sire Mo Town (Uncle Mo), Justique again displayed her trademark running style Saturday as the 3-2 chalk, spotting pacesetter Parody (Distorted Humor) nearly 11 lengths as she took her time from the gate. Never in any hurry under jockey Victor Espinoza, she continued to lag behind up the backstretch run but once it was time to move, Justique was full of run, picking off rivals with a five-wide move around the far turn. Still caught wide at the head of the lane, she was put to a hand ride and was much the best into the final furlong, winning going away over Blessed Touch who led the rest of the field home in second. The win gave Espinoza and trainer John Shirreffs their first respective wins in the Desi Arnaz S.
“I don't try to encourage her away from the gate; I just let her do her thing,” explained winning jockey Victor Espinoza. “I just want her to be happy in her races. The idea is to just get her in her rhythm; to let her do it her way. At the half mile (pole) she started to pick it up. When she wants to, she's quick; very quick. I moved up next to those horses on the turn and in two or three jumps she's in front. She's something. And if she goes longer? I think she'll be better.”
The 6th black-type winner for her freshman sire (by Scat Daddy), Justique has a weanling full-sister still to race behind her. Grazie Mille visited leading sire Into Mischief for a 2023 foal. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
DESI ARNAZ S., $101,000, Del Mar, 11-19, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:23.41, ft.
1–JUSTIQUE, 120, f, 2, by Justify
1st Dam: Grazie Mille, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Molto Vita, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Princess Polonia, by Danzig
'TDN Rising Star'. ($725,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE
WIN. O-C R K Stable LLC; B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest
Bloodstock (KY); T-John A. Shirreffs; J-Victor Espinoza. $60,000.
Lifetime Record: GSP, 3-2-0-1, $132,000. *1/2 to Mo Town
(Uncle Mo), GISW, $519,600.
2–Blessed Touch, 120, f, 2, Girvin–Blushing Touch, by
Street Boss. ($32,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $140,000 2yo '22
OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Pierre Jean Amestoy, Jr., Leslie
Amestoy & Roger K. Beasley; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY);
T-Tim Yakteen. $20,000.
3–Naughty Lottie, 120, f, 2, Midnight Lute–Scarlet Emerald, by
Desert Party. ($17,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Mike Powers;
B-Jason Hall, Herschel Martindale & Joe Wheeler (KY);
T-J. Keith Desormeaux. $12,000.
Margins: 2 1/4, 6HF, 1. Odds: 1.50, 1.90, 27.20.
Also Ran: Parody, Huntingcoco, Daddy Classy Dill, Smokem for You.
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