Justify’s 2018 Santa Anita Purse Money to be Redistributed, Record to be Adjusted

The long-standing saga of the 2018 GI Santa Anita Derby may finally be at a close, as the $1-million purse was formally redistributed Saturday, according to a report in Daily Racing Form. Undefeated Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy) won the 2018 Santa Anita Derby, but later tested positive for scopolamine and Mick Ruis, owner of the second-place finisher Bolt d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), persevered with his attempts to have the results overturned. More on the background of his efforts can be found here.

This past December, Ruis released a statement claiming legal victory in the matter and, earlier this month, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ordered the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to disqualify Justify and pay $300,000 to Ruis while also redistributing the purse. During his racing career, Justify was campaigned by a partnership consisting China Horse Club International Ltd., Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing, and Winstar Farm.

According to DRF, a board of California stewards issued a ruling Saturday ordering Justify's ownership to relinquish the $585,000 in first-place prize money. Trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Mike Smith must also return their portion of the purse, which is typically 10% of the winnings. The money must be forfeited by Apr. 29, with all trophies also returned.

Justify, who is now a successful sire standing at Coolmore America, will also see his race record adjusted from six-for-six to five-for-six. California stewards Ron Church, John Herbuveaux, and Kim Sawyer signed Saturday's order.

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CHRB Settles with Ruis in ’18 Santa Anita Derby Dispute Involving Justify DQ

Three months after a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ordered the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) to set aside a 2020 stewards' decision and issue a new ruling disqualifying winner Justify from the 2018 GI Santa Anita Derby, a separate settlement has been reached that calls for the CHRB to pay $300,000 to Mick Ruis, the owner of runner-up Bolt d'Oro, and to order a redistribution for the $1-million purse of that stakes.

Dick Downey of the Blood-Horse was first to report the settlement on Thursday, citing details made public in court filings.

Neither the settlement nor the underlying lawsuit involved any direct claims against 'TDN Rising Star' Justify's then-ownership group (China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners, Starlight Racing, and WinStar Farm) or the colt's trainer, Bob Baffert.

Although, as Downey pointed out in the Blood-Horse, “Presumably they retain the right to appeal the stewards' ruling” and the purse redistribution.

By winning the Santa Anita Derby, the undefeated Justify was able to earn necessary qualifying points to enter the GI Kentucky Derby. He then swept the remaining two Triple Crown races, the GI Preakness S. and GI Belmont S, but was retired from racing six weeks later after developing a left front ankle filling.

It wasn't until 15 months after Justify's Triple Crown romp that a September 2019 bombshell story in the New York Times revealed that Justify had tested positive for scopolamine after he won the Santa Anita Derby, and that the result had been kept hidden from the public.

The Times further reported that CHRB officials arranged to handle Justify's positive “differently than usual” by holding an August 2018 executive session hearing during which CHRB members voted unanimously not to disqualify Justify or to sanction Baffert because the positive test was the result of contamination linked to jimson weed.

The stewards subsequently claimed they had no jurisdiction on the matter as it had already been decided, a decision with which the CHRB later concurred.

Ruis then began what would turn out to be a years-long legal quest to have the result of the race overturned with Bolt d'Oro declared the winner, alleging that the CHRB failed to follow its own rules when it decided not to pursue penalties after Justify's positive test.

Carlo Fisco, one of Ruis's attorneys, told TDN via email Thursday evening that the settlement also will quell a separate civil case pending against the CHRB that sought monetary damages.

“We have settled our monetary claims against the CHRB, which now has the additional duty to recover and redistribute the purse to the rightful owners including our client,” Fisco wrote. “It was never about the money. I'm hoping we can all move on and put the actions in 2018 of a few bad actors behind us. It's all been settled save for the purse redistribution.”

According to the Mar. 5 court document that outlines the settlement, “within five days of [the CHRB] being served with the signed Judgment, the Board of Stewards will enter a new order disqualifying the horse Justify and redistributing the purse pursuant to Rule 1859.5 and ordering that all purse monies earned or awarded be returned to the Paymaster of Purses at Santa Anita within 30 days of their order. If the purse is not redistributed within 30 days, [the] CHRB shall use its best efforts pursuant to its rules [in] ensuring that the [court ruling] is upheld.”

The settlement filing states that the CHRB's obligations “are expected to be fully performed by CHRB using its best efforts as expeditiously as possible.”

The settlement also stipulates that “Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as an admission of liability, any wrongdoing, or any violation of law.”

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Ruby Nell Sparkles in Frontrunning Buena Vista Score

Ruby Nell (Bolt d'Oro) returned from her trip to Florida like many do–refreshed and ready to get back to work. And back to work she went, wiring the field impressively as the 4-5 favorite in the GII Buena Vista S. at Santa Anita. Shipped East by Richard Mandella for Pegasus weekend, the daughter of Bolt d'Oro did well to race against her normal style in coming off the pace to  finish third beaten just 1 3/4 lengths in the GII Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Jan. 27.

Back on California soil Sunday, it was back to business as jockey Edwin Maldonado, reunited with this runner after Frankie Dettori was aboard in Florida, did all he could to restrain Ruby Nell on the front end, keeping her under a tight hold even as she opened up a sizeable gap on the run into the first turn. Left alone on the lead through fractions of :25.55 and :46.88, the favorite gradually let a trio of pursuers eat into the gap with a quarter left to run but had more than enough in the tank to keep Mouffy (Uncle Mo) at bay and pick up her second graded-stakes win.

“I just let her do her thing,” Maldonado said. “She wants it her way and even if you fight her, she's going to do it her way, so I just let her do her thing.”

“I never had a doubt that Ruby would win, but the training schedule on all these horses the last couple weeks has been difficult,” added Mandella. “Keeping their minds right is pretty tough. I'm very proud that she handled it as well as she did.”

Pedigree Note:

Owner Spendthrift Farm went to $1,200,000 to secure Ruby Nell as a 2-year-old after she brought just $85,000 as a yearling at Keeneland in 2021. One of 10 stakes winners for Bolt d'Oro, a Spendthrift stallion, Ruby Nell is out of the winning Not For Love mare Rich Love who herself last saw the auction ring late last year when she brought $500,000 from Fast Fillies at FTKNOV. A producer of fives winners from as many to race, Rich Love is a half to MSW/GSP Concealed Identity (Smarty Jones) and SW/GSP Peach of a Gal (Curlin). After producing back to back foals by Good Magic, Rich Love went to Curlin for 2024.

 

Sunday, Santa Anita Park
BUENA VISTA S.-GII, $202,000, Santa Anita, 3-3, 4yo/up, f/m, 1mT, 1:35.01, gd.
1–RUBY NELL, 122, f, 4, by Bolt d'Oro
   1st Dam: Rich Love, by Not For Love
   2nd Dam: Richetta, by Polish Numbers
   3rd Dam: Riscay, by Rahy
($80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $85,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP; $1,200,000 2yo '22 FTFMAR). O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Solana Beach Sales (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella; J-Edwin A. Maldonado. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 12-6-2-2, $491,520. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mouffy, 120, m, 5, Uncle Mo–Truly Together, by Smart Strike. O-Augustin Stables; B-George Strawbridge (KY); T-Jonathan Thomas. $40,000.
3–Nadette (Fr), 120, m, 5, Outstrip (GB)–Ciboulette (Ire), by Pivotal (GB). (€50,000 Ylg '20 ARQDOY; €17,000 2yo '21 ARQSRM; $340,000 RNA 4yo '23 KEENOV). O-Team Valor International, LLC; B-Herve Dardenne (FR); T-Neil D. Drysdale. $24,000.
Margins: 3/4, 1HF, 1. Odds: 0.80, 5.80, 25.50.
Also Ran: Be Your Best (Ire), Bellabel (Ire), Closing Remarks, Lucky Girl (Ire), Justique, Lakota Spirit. Scratched: Kissed by Fire, Thirty Carats.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Catalogue Released For The 2024 Texas Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale

The catalog for the 2024 Texas Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale, set for Wednesday, Apr. 3 beginning at 10 a.m. ET in the Lone Star Park Sales Pavilion, is out, the Texas Thoroughbred Association said in a release Wednesday.

The breeze show is scheduled for Monday, Apr. 1 on Lone Star's main track, starting at 8 a.m. ET.

“This is a solid, quality group of two-year-olds coming to our sale,” Texas Thoroughbred Association Sales Director Foster Bridewell said. “We have an array of national and regional stallions represented in the book and stakes-quality pedigrees to match.”

Juveniles by Bolt d'Oro, Frosted, Game Winner, Global Campaign, Instagrand, Jimmy Creed, Medaglia d'Oro, Mitole, More Than Ready, Twirling Candy, Vino Rosso, and Violence are catalogued this year, as well as regional stallions like Aurelius Maximus, Cinco Charlie, Competitive Edge, My Golden Song, Star Guitar and Too Much Bling.

“We have two-year-olds by well-known stallions, out of stakes winners, and half siblings to stakes runners currently on tracks around the area and nation,” Bridewell said. “We're thrilled to have this opportunity to showcase these horses in April at Lone Star Park and we're grateful to our breeders, owners, and consignors for trusting in us to put on a quality sale.”

Paper catalogues will be mailed soon and supplements are expected. Click here for access.

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