Represented by his first stakes performer last weekend at Santa Anita, undefeated 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify went one better Sunday when 2-year-old daughter Statuette won the Airlie Stud Stakes (G2) at the Curragh.
A half-sister to Group 1 winner Tenebrism, the chestnut fillyraced along with the leaders early on in the six-furlong turf race before showing her best inside the final quarter mile of the six-furlong event.
Jockey Ryan Moore asked for a step up in pace and Statuette slid down the rail to win by three-quarters of a length with Badb (by Footstepsinthesand) in second and Matilda Picotte (by Sioux Nation) giving her own freshman sire a second stakes performer with a third place finish in the race.
Trained by Aidan O'Brien for the Coolmore partners, Westerberg, and Merribelle Stables, Statuette was bred by Coolmore and Merribelle.
“She has a beautiful mind, great stride, and an unbelievable physique. We think the Justifys are something to look forward to,” O'Brien told Thoroughbred Daily News. “She's a sister to Tenebrism but she'd carry her on her back as she's a massive, big, powerful filly this one. She's probably not as precious as normal for a filly running at this time of year but she has so much class she was able to run and do it rather than us making her do it.”
She is one of two group winners out of Pivotial's dual Group 1 winner Immortal Verse, who is also the dam of European champion 2-year-old filly Tenebrism. Out of stakes winner Side of Praise, Immortal Verse is also a half sister to the dam of stakes winner and Group 1-placed Roseman. This is also the family of multiple Group 1 winner Last Tycoon, Group 1 winners Sense of Style and Valentine Waltz, and others.
Immortal Verse had a colt from the first Irish-bred crop of Wootton Basset this year.
Justify's first crop has now seen two of his eight runners win or place at stakes level with Tahoma finishing second in the Fasig-Tipton Futurity last Sunday at Santa Anita. Six of his eight runners have either won or placed in their debuts.
Justify was 2018 Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male after winning the 2018 Kentucky Derby (G1), Preakness Stakes (G1), and Belmont Stakes (G1) in a sweep of the Triple Crown races for owners China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing, and WinStar Farm.
A son of Scat Daddy out of the Ghostzapper mare Stage Magic, Justify stood the 2022 season at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky., for an advertised fee of $100,000.
The post ‘Massive, Big, Powerful Filly’: Statuette First Black-Type Winner For Triple Crown Winner Justify appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
