Here's a look at the fourth installment of our Kentucky Oaks Top 10:

1) TARIFA (f, Bernardini–Kite Beach, by Awesome Again) O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: 'TDN Rising Star', GSW, 4-3-0-0, $278,925. Last start: WON Feb. 17 GII Rachel Alexandra S. Ky Oaks Points: 50. Next Start: GII Fair Grounds Oaks, FG, Mar. 23 or GI Ashland S., Kee, Apr. 5

Tarifa will have one more prep before the Kentucky Oaks and if she passes that test she will likely be the favorite come the first Friday in May. Trainer Brad Cox still hasn't decided between the GII Fair Grounds Oaks or the GI Ashland S. She has had her first workout since her win in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. presented by Fasig-Tipton, breezing a half-mile at the Fair Grounds Mar. 3 in :49.80. Considering that the Rachel Alexandra was her stakes debut, this filly is good now and figures to only get better for Cox.

2) JODY'S PRIDE (f, American Pharoah–Jody's Song, by Scat Daddy) O-Parkland Tbreds & Sportsmen Stable; B-Mr. Steve Weston (Ky); T-J Abreu. Lifetime Record: MSW & GISP, 4-3-1-0, $590,250. Last start: WON Mar. 2 Busher S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 65. Next Start: GIII Gazelle S., AQU, Apr. 6.

The connections of Jody's Pride, the runner-up in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, called an audible at the line of scrimmage and withdrew from the Davona Dale in order to run in the Busher S. at Aqueduct. It was a smart move. They knew they'd be the headliner against a weak field of competitors and that it was a good spot to pick up easy Oaks points. It worked out perfectly as she splashed her way over a sloppy track to win by 2 1/4 lengths with Jose Lezcano aboard. It was the third win in the race over a five-year span for trainer Jorge Abreu. She didn't have particularly good Beyer numbers coming into the race and, though she did improve, her Beyer was an 80. That means she's going to have to run faster in upcoming races. They will stay in New York and run next in the GIII Gazelle S. Her 65 Oaks points puts her at No. 1 on that list.

3) JUST F Y I (f, Justify–Star Act, by Street Cry {Ire}) O/B-George Krikorian (Ky); T-Bill Mott. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo filly, GISW, 3-3-0-0, $1,317,750. Last start: WON Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Kentucky Oaks Points: 40. Next Start: TBD.

Things had gone perfectly for this daughter of Justify through her championship campaign in 2023 and early 2024. She was primed for her return in the Davona Dale, but came down with a fever, forcing trainer Bill Mott to scratch her. Normally, that would be a minor setback, but Just F Y I will now likely go into the Kentucky Oaks with just one prep. That could be a problem. “Her temperature is back to normal,” Mott said. “She looks bright and is eating well. Three races are possible if she recovers well, the Gulfstream Park Oaks, the Fantasy or the Ashland.” A high-quality filly, but she can't afford to have another setback.

4) KOPION (f, Omaha Beach–Galloping Ami, by Victory Gallop) O-Spendthrift Farm; B-Tall Oaks Farm (Ky); T-Richard Mandella. Sales history: $270,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 3-2-1-0, $116,600. Last start: 2nd Feb. 10 GIII Las Virgenes S. Ky Oaks Points: 20. Next Start:GIII Santa Ysabel S., SA, Mar. 9

Kopion is in an odd spot. She's not the best 3-year-old filly based in Southern California. Kinza is. But Kopion is California's top threat for the Kentucky Oaks. That's because Kinza is trained by Bob Baffert and will not be allowed to start in the Oaks. She's also not the best 3-year-old filly in the Richard Mandella barn. Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) is. But she has been sidelined and won't be making it to Churchill Downs. According to the Santa Anita notes team, Kopion, a daughter of Omaha Beach will, face off against Kinza again in Saturday's Santa Ysabel S. In some respects, a second-place finish will seem like a win.

5) POWER SQUEEZE (f, Union Rags–Callmethesqueeze, by Awesome Again) O-Lea Farms, LLC; B-Forging Oaks Farm (KY); T-Jorge Delgado. Sales history: $50,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $90,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: MSW, 5-3-1-0, $188,650. Last start: WON Feb. 10 Suncoast S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 20. Next Start: GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, GP, Mar. 30.

The real test for this filly will come in the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, the final Kentucky Oaks prep run in Florida. The connections have been running her in non-graded races and she has come through, winning the Cash Run S. at Gulfstream and the Suncoast S. at Tampa Bay Downs. How good is she? We don't know yet. Sold for just $90,000 at last year's OBS June sale. She is trained by Jorge Delgado, who is not well known on the national scene, but is winning at a 30% clip on the year. For his career, his winning percentage is 22%.

6) INTRICATE (f, Gun Runner–Complex Analysis, by Distorted Humor) O-Bradley Thoroughbreds, Laura Leigh Stable, Scot Estes & Cambron Equine, LLC; B-LBD Stable, LLC (Ky); T-Brendan Walsh. Sales history: $200,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $280,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 4-2-1-0, $362,180. Last start: 2nd GII Rachel Alexandra S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 35. Next Start: GII Fair Grounds Oaks, FG, Mar. 23

Brendan Walsh will be looking to become the first trainer to win back-to-back runnings of the Kentucky Oaks since Wayne Lukas. Lukas won the 1990 Oaks with Seaside Attraction and the 1989 Oaks with Open Mind. Walsh enjoyed a terrific year last year with Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief), who raised her profile in her Oaks win and went on to win the 3-year-old filly championship. Intricate has more to prove before she can be compared to her illustrious stablemate, but there's no reason why she won't have a similar year. Took a bit of a hit when second behind Tarifa in the Rachel Alexandra, but she ran well and was beaten by a top-class filly.

7) LESLIE'S ROSE (f, Into Mischief–Wildwood Rose {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) 'TDN Rising Star' O-Whisper Hill Farm; B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock Services (Ky); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $1,150,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 'TDN Rising Star', GSP, 3-2-0-1, $89,950. Last start: 3rd Mar. 2 GII Davona Dale S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 15. Next Start: TBD.

A $1.15-million purchase at Keeneland September, this daughter of Into Mischief faced her biggest challenge to date in the Davona Dale S. The results were mixed. She didn't run terribly in what was her stakes debut. She finished third as the 3-10 favorite and was beaten 2 1/4 lengths. The race came after she posted big Beyer numbers in her maiden win and in an allowance race. Trainer Todd Pletcher reports that her next start will either be in the Ashland or the Gulfstream Park Oaks. She deserves one more chance, but a defeat in her next start would mean the bloom is off this rose.

8) WEST OMAHA (f, West Coast–Birthday Bash, by Medaglia d'Oro) O/B-Gary & Mary West Stables (Ky); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: SW, 4-2-2-0, $203,000. Last start: 3rd in Feb. 24 GIII Honeybee S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 40. Next Start: TBD.

Brad Cox is always loaded with talent in the 3-year-old filly division. It looks like Tarifa is his best prospect, but her stablemate West Omaha is still in the mix. After a win in the Silverbulletday S. presented by Fasig-Tipton, she disappointed when third in the GIII Honeybee. S. at Oaklawn as the 11-10 favorite. A little bit on the erratic side, she wins every other race. There can't be any excuses next time…she needs a major win to prove she has what it takes to win the Kentucky Oaks.

9) LEMON MUFFIN (f, Collected–Pelt, by Canadian Frontier)

O-Aaron Sones; B-Mr & Mrs Theodore R Kuster & Collected Syndicate (KY); T-D Wayne Lukas. Sales history: $20,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $140,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-1-4-0, $305,250. Last start: WON Feb. 24 GIII Honeybee S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50. Next Start: GIII Fantasy S., OP, Mar. 30.

The remarkable story of Hall of Famer Wayne Lukas just keeps going and going. He's now 88, but has shown the world he's still more than capable of competing at the highest levels of the sport and against the very best trainers. He's also bold enough to do what few other trainers would. Prior to her win in the Honeybee, Lemon Muffin was still a maiden after five starts and had never run beyond six furlongs. On paper, she looked to be up against it in the Honeybee but scored the upset at 28-1. Was it a fluke? We'll find out in her next start. Having won the 2022 Oaks with Secret Oath (Arrogate), Lukas will be out to win his second Oaks in three years.

10) FIONA'S MAGIC (f, St Patrick's Day–Mollie's Magic, by Factum) O/B-Stonehedge, LLC (FL); T-Michael Yates. Lifetime Record: GSW, 5-3-2-0, $250,910. Last start: WON Mar. 2 GII Davona Dale S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 60. Next start: GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, GP, Mar. 30.

When the entries came out for the Davona Dale, Fiona's Magic was completely overshadowed by Just F Y I and Leslie's Rose. But when the dust cleared, Just F Y I had been scratched and Leslie's Rose didn't live up to her billing. That left a void and it was filled by this Florida-bred daughter of St. Patrick's Day (Pioneerof the Nile). She was bred by and is owned by Marilyn Campbell's Stonehedge Farm South, the Florida Breeder of the Year in 1997, 2013, and 2016. Trainer Michael Yates is not well known outside of Florida, but he has won the Davona Dale in back-to-back years. His 2023 winner was Dorth Vader (Girvin).

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Conditioner Bill Mott hopes to use South Florida as his springboard to the GI Kentucky Oaks May 3, saying, “I've gone back and forth just deciding should I have two races or one [for Just F YI]. If I put two races in here, they're going to have to be a month apart. The clock starts ticking and before you know it, these races are right on top of you.”

Trainer Danny Gargan also sees the upcoming Florida race as a starting point for bigger things in May, “I just don't want [Dornoch] to go too forward. Hopefully he doesn't have to run a crazy, big, fast number or anything like that too soon. We just want to keep him maintained in what he's doing and hopefully he can be sound and be there on the first Saturday in May. Don't get me wrong, we'd like to win the Fountain of Youth but it's really not the goal.”

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Just F Y I joins 23 other stakes winners based across North America that were nominated to the Kentucky Oaks, including recent GII Rachel Alexandra S. winner Tarifa (Bernardini); GI Alcibiades S. winner Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}); and GII Golden Rod S. winner Intricate (Gun Runner).

The 104 fillies became eligible to compete in the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks with a $200 payment that was due Saturday, Feb. 17. Three-year-old fillies not made eligible during the early nomination phase can become eligible with a $1,500 late payment due Wednesday, Apr. 10.

Krikorian's undefeated Just F Y I sits atop the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 40 points that she earned by winning the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and GI Frizette S. Trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Just F Y I is based this winter at Payson Park Training Center in South Florida where she continues to train toward her 3-year-old debut.

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Repole Stable's homebred Fierceness was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following his 11 1/4-length debut victory at Saratoga Aug. 25. Following a dull effort in the GI Champagne S., the bay colt was let go at 16-1 in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, but he sealed the championship with an easy 6 1/4-length win.

Fierceness became the second straight juvenile champion for Mike Repole, who accepted an Eclipse statue for Forte (Violence) last year.

George Krikorian's homebred Just F Y I capped an unbeaten three-for-three juvenile campaign with her win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. The bay filly broke her maiden at Saratoga Aug. 26. She captured the Oct. 7 GI Frizette S. before just holding off Jody's Pride (American Pharoah) to win on championship weekend in November at Santa Anita.

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“She is a class mare,” Dorman said Wednesday. “She's a Grade I producer. She has a phenomenal horse who is three-for-three and primed for next year. John Sikura has always been a great business partner. It just worked out as a good opportunity.”

Dorman said the mare, who is in foal to Life is Good and was consigned by Hill 'n' Dale on behalf of George Krikorian, was on his radar Monday, but after Prank (Into Mischief) sold for $1.6 million earlier in the session, he assumed Star Act would be out of his price range.

“When I saw the horse go for $1.6 million, I thought she would be too much,” Dorman said. “I work with David Ingordo now. So Dave and I had a long conversation about the broodmare band and what we are doing. And after [Star Act] RNA'd, we decided that the horse made sense at this number. So we reached out to John and Donato [Lanni]. And we called back and forth and it evolved into John and I buying the horse. Donato and the owner have a long-standing relationship with John and respect John, so it worked out well.” @JessMartiniTDN

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The filly made it all the way to the Keeneland sales grounds before a puncture wound in her shoulder kept her from going through the ring. While it was nothing serious, the minor abrasion became inflamed enough to make walking back and forth for buyers impossible. So she was scratched from the September Sale, sent to Margaux Farm and eventually joined Bill Mott's stable. Not long after, she became Krikorian's first Breeders' Cup champion.

“It's funny how things happen because we would have sold her,” reflected Donato Lanni, Krikorian's longtime advisor who was the one that had made the call to Krikorian about withdrawing the filly from the sale. “Somehow when you do good things in life and you're a good person, the Man Upstairs decides that he's going to take care of you. I really believe things like that happen for a reason.”

Lanni couldn't be more genuine in his praise for Krikorian, the California-based movie theater mogul who famously gave Lanni the opportunity to buy his first horse. As the story goes, Krikorian told a 20-something-aged Lanni that if he ever saw a yearling that he liked, to go ahead and buy it. In the summer of 1999 while Krikorian was busy scouting out properties for a new theater project in Arizona, Lanni somewhat nervously spent $35,000 on a Dynaformer yearling. Named Starrer, the filly eventually became the first of many Grade I winners for both Krikorian as an owner and Lanni as an agent.

Krikorian celebrates his first Breeders' Cup victory with Just F Y I | Benoit

While Lanni has since developed a stellar career working with a number of the top horsemen and owners in the game, he has maintained a steady relationship advising his good friend–the soft-spoken Vietnam veteran with a knack for business who had launched his start in the sport.

“George is the kind of guy that is very low-key,” Lanni explained. “He has that Shawn Connery way about him. He's charming and everyone that meets him says he's a gentleman and a great guy. His whole operation is pretty cool.”

Krikorian, who developed a passion for racing while growing up near Rockingham Park where his father George Krikorian Sr. was a trainer, has spent the past three decades building up a prosperous racing and breeding operation with an emphasis on establishing and advancing each family in his commercial program.

As a perfect example of his success in achieving just that, Starrer was among the top performers of Krikorian's racing stable for many years as a dual Grade I-winning millionaire, but she would eventually be surpassed in earnings by her own granddaughter Just F Y I.

A Breeders' Cup win had alluded Krikorian for many years, but to make it to the winner's circle with a homebred in the Juvenile Fillies –and at his home track at Santa Anita with his children and grandchildren celebrating alongside him–made the wait all worthwhile.

“It was exciting just being there the whole week before the Breeders' Cup and going through the whole process,” Krikorian recalled. “The whole experience of going back and forth with the horse to the track every morning, watching her get ready and watching the other horses, she was just showing herself more and more. I knew the day that she ran that she was going to run a hell of a race. I didn't know if she would win or not, but I knew she was going to run her best race.”

Wrapping up her juvenile season undefeated, Just F Y I secured her spot as the best 2-year-old filly in the country after overcoming the widest post to come out victorious in the Juvenile Fillies. Since then, the talented bay has enjoyed a bit of time off in Florida alongside fellow Krikorian stable star War Like Goddess (English Channel), the three-time Grade I winner who is set to return to the racetrack for her 7-year-old season this spring.

To go into 2024 with the most accomplished 3-year-old filly is exciting, but Krikorian acknowledges that there are plenty of others vying for the top spot.

“It feels great, but there is going to be more competition coming,” he said. “The competition gets a little bit tougher this year, but she is also growing. She was going through a growth spurt before the Breeders' Cup and she went through a growth spurt again when she got turned out. She's going to be a much bigger, stronger horse this year. Both she and War Like Goddess are back galloping and we're getting ready for the spring. In a few weeks we will probably start putting together schedules.”

When he's not in sunny California or traveling the country for the next horse race, Krikorian has found himself spending more time in Kentucky. He recently opened a one-of-a-kind entertainment complex across from Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington called LexLive.

“I can't help myself,” the entrepreneur admitted. “If I'm driving and I see a location that I think may be a good location for a theater, I go for it. So downtown Lexington had no theaters and I thought it would make sense to put something there.”

Opened for business in 2021, LexLive is home to 10 movie theaters, a bowling alley, multiple restaurants and bars and an arcade.

But the main draw for Krikorian's trips to Lexington is to visit his farm outside of Versailles. Named Starwood Farm in honor of Starrer and fellow foundation mare Hollywood Story (Wild Rush), the 350-acre property Krikorian purchased 15 years ago is home to around 40 broodmares and their offspring.

Krikorian is known for the effort he puts into the clever, oftentimes cinema-related names of his racehorses, but he has just as much pride for the work he puts into planning his matings every spring.

Lanni gives Krikorian all the credit for successful matings like the one that produced Just F Y I, but he does wryly point out that Krikorian has a tendency to match his mare to the perfect stallion even if it might be to the detriment of the farm's bottom line in the short term when it comes time to send the yearlings to the sales in the fall.

“It's a commercial operation, but sometimes he likes to breed to stallions that are not the most commercial at the time because it's the right thing to do for the mare,” Lanni explained. “So when we go to sell them, they don't bring the money because they're not by a first-year stallion. He wants to breed to the best. I'll tell George, 'This mare is 15 years old and she hasn't had a runner. I think spending this amount of money is too much.' But he doesn't look at the price of the stallion. He just wants to breed what is best for the mare.”

Krikorian checks in with the full-sister to champion Just F Y I | Sara Gordon

He might stray away from the commercial norm, but at the end of the day Krikorian knows when to make the right business decision in order to keep the farm's overhead in check and oftentimes that means parting with a horse that he is confident has all the potential to become a star.

The one that still makes him wince just a bit is Honor A. P. (Honor Code). The son of his Grade I-winning star mare Hollywood Story, Honor A.P. went through the sales ring as a yearling and fetched $850,000 from CRK Stable before he developed into a Grade I winner and eventual Lane's End sire.

“Honor A.P. stood out from day one from when he was born and it was painful to sell the horse, but I had to,” Krikorian reflected. “The poor horse ran in the Derby, but he never got a chance to really run his race. Coming out of the gate, he gets hit and knocked out but still ends up finishing fourth. Had he been able to run his race, who knows what would've happened?”

Another recent success in the sales ring for Krikorian's program was the $1.1 million sale of Mucho Unusual (Mucho Macho Man). The homebred claimed four graded stakes including the 2020 GI Rodeo Drive S. before selling to Shadai Farm when she retired from the track in 2022.

Now Krikorian is looking to make another shrewd move for his program as he sends a high-caliber mare to the Keeneland January Sale. Starrer's stakes-placed daughter Star Act (Street Cry {Ire}), the dam of Just F Y I, already has two other winners that sold for six figures as yearlings on her produce record and she is carrying a foal by Life Is Good.

“She's gorgeous,” Krikorian gushed of the winning 13-year-old mare. “She was a beautiful racehorse to look at. Unfortunately she had an injury that shortened her career as a racehorse, but she has made up for it as a broodmare. Her foals are large and very strong-boned with big shoulders and big hips. They're just what you want in a racehorse.”

Star Act's newly-turned yearling, a full sister to Just F Y I, was originally slated for the January sale as well, but Krikorian opted to focus on selling the mare in January and perhaps send the yearling to Keeneland come September. He admitted that she reminded him too much of her older sister to part with just yet.

“Just F Y I ruled the roost here,” he said with a smile. “She really stood out physically and she pushed everybody around. She was running the show and now this foal here is doing the same thing.”

The Starwood Farm office features portraits of farm matriarchs Starrer (pictured) and Hollywood Story | Sara Gordon

Krikorian's Starwood Farm has suffered several sad losses in recent years as Starrer passed away in 2021 and Hollywood Story died the following summer. With the passing of the farm's two matriarch mares, there is space in the program for other talented race mares to take on the role of leading producer someday–be it Just F Y I, or perhaps Big Pond–a daughter of Krikorian's stallion Mr. Big who recently ran second in the GI La Brea S., or maybe one of his rare sales purchases like War Like Goddess.

Bought as a 2-year-old by Lanni for a mere $30,000, the future multi-millionaire marked a full-circle find for Krikorian and Lanni, taking them back to their early days of shopping for bargain buys together back before Krikorian raced almost exclusively from his own breeding program.

“When I had first met Donato, he had just moved to Kentucky and was starting out,” Krikorian recalled. “He was sleeping in his car, looking to get a job. I liked him because he was really energetic and you could tell how much he loved the horses. Starrer was the first horse he picked. He was starting his career and I was starting a new venture, so it worked out well. He had an eye for a horse and he didn't know he had an eye for a horse.”

Krikorian, too, has more of an eye for a horse than he will readily give himself credit for.

Only a few years after the purchase of Starrer, Krikorian and Lanni were shopping for yearlings when Lanni pointed out Hollywood Story. Krikorian took one look and knew he had to have her. He was worried she might sell for too much, but the bidding stalled at $130,000 and he took home a future Grade I winner.

It was a similar story with Mr. Big (Dynafomer). Krikorian rarely buys weanling, but when Lanni mentioned the colt at the Keeneland November Sale in 2003 and Krikorian went to see him, he couldn't resist going to $220,000 for the youngster. While injuries kept Mr. Big from reaching his full potential on the racetrack, Krikorian bred a few mares to him on a whim when the new retiree was letting down at Starwood and was thrilled when the stallion's first starter won on debut by almost 10 lengths.

Now standing at Legacy Ranch, Mr. Big is ranked among the top five leading sires in California and Krikorian supports him with a dozen mares every spring.

So when it comes to judging horseflesh, Krikorian's opinion is one to take seriously. And while the septuagenarian doesn't have any specific goals as he continues to develop his program, his drive for finding the winner's circle is evident.

“I just keep looking for those nuggets,” he said. “But everything has worked out well. It seems like every couple of years, we've been fortunate to have something good happen and that keeps you rolling along.”

Krikorian is understated in reflecting on his many achievements in the sport, but Lanni is clear that Krikorian is deserving of everything he has attained and more.

“He's self-made and he did it the hard way,” Lanni said. “I'm lucky that I've known him since 1997 and so to me he's like a father figure. I work for him, but he's more like a father figure than anything else. He takes care of a lot of people and he's very generous, so he's an easy guy to cheer for.”

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Just F Y I wins the $1 Million @NetJets #BreedersCup Juvenile Fillies on #FutureStarsFriday at @santaanitapark! Congrats to all of her connections! pic.twitter.com/q2BRPmF895

— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) November 3, 2023

Friday, Santa Anita Park
NETJETS BREEDERS' CUP JUVENILE FILLIES-GI, $1,840,000, Santa Anita, 11-3, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:44.58, ft.
1–JUST F Y I, 122, f, 2, by Justify
         1st Dam: Star Act (SP, $147,605), by Street Cry (Ire)
         2nd Dam: Starrer, by Dynaformer
         3rd Dam: To the Hunt, by Relaunch
O/B-George Krikorian (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $1,040,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $1,317,750. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Jody's Pride, 122, f, 2, by American Pharoah
         1st Dam: Jody's Song, by Scat Daddy
         2nd Dam: Speightful Lady, by Speightstown
         3rd Dam: England's Rose, by Nureyev
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O-Parkland Thoroughbreds and Sportsmen Stable; B-Mr. Steve Weston (KY); T-Jorge R. Abreu. $340,000.
3–Candied, 122, f, 2, by Candy Ride (Arg)
         1st Dam: Toni Tools (SW, $193,339), by Roaring Fever
         2nd Dam: Patine, by Smart Strike
         3rd Dam: Burnish, by Menifee
($165,000 Ylg '22 FTKJUL). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; B-Buck Pond Farm, Inc. (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $180,000.
Margins: NK, HF, 2 3/4. Odds: 7.00, 17.80, 2.80.
Also Ran: Life Talk, Scalable, Brightwork, Tamara, Where's My Ring, Chatalas, Accommodate Eva, Esprit Enchante, Omaha Girl. Scratched: Alys Beach.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Will this be Krikorian's year? Those were among the questions our team asked Krikorian on this week's TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland. He was the Green Group Guest of the Week.

“I'm pretty excited to be here and to have this opportunity and with two horses,” he said. “This is the first time that's happened for me. So it's going to be a pretty special weekend.”

In War Like Goddess, Krikorian owns one of the biggest over achievers in the sport. She sold for $1,200 as a weanling before RNA'ing for $1,000 at Keeneland September 2018. She showed up next at the 2019 OBS June Sale, where bloodstock agent Donato Lanni convinced Krikorian to take a shot on the filly. He bought her for $30,000. All she's done since is earn $2,495,184 and win eight stakes, including three Grade I's.

“You have to give kudos to Donato Lanni because he called me one day and said, 'I've seen this horse and she should not be in this sale and she's going to be overlooked,'” Krikorian said. 'He said, I see in the future that she could be a very special horse.' I told him that I knew that he didn't mind taking the time it takes for a horse to develop. And so that's exactly what we did. We took our time. Just as he predicted, she turned out to be an incredible horse.”

George Krikorian Joins the TDN Writers' Room from Thoroughbred Daily News on Vimeo.

Just FYI is 2-for-2 and coming off a win in the GI Frizette. Despite her strong credentials, this might be a tough spot for her and only because she'll have to take on Tamara (Bolt d'Oro), considered by many to be the most likely winner of any Breeders' Cup race.

“I know that Tamara is going to be a tough, tough horse,” Krikorian said. “The bottom line is you're challenged by any horse that's in a race like this. I think that Just FYI has shown to be a incredibly talented horse and I think that she's going to be a very tough competitor in that race.”

Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders, West Point Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm, XBTV.com and 1/ST Racing, the team of Zoe Cadman, Bill Finley and Randy Moss went through all the Breeders' Cup races, offering their insights and handicapping opinions. Both Moss and Finley loved longshot Roses for Debra (Liam's Map) in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Moss had a less positive take on the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, calling this one of the weakest Classic fields ever assembled. Yet, everyone agreed that this might be the best field ever assembled for the Breeders' Cup Turf. Moss also made a compelling case why Elite Power (Curlin) should turn the tables on Gunite (Gun Runner) in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint.

To watch the podcast as a video, click here. For the audio version, click here.

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“He's healthy, he's working well. There have been no hiccups,” Baffert said. “He's ready. I know this is going to be a tough race, but if he brings his 'A' game, I don't really care who's running against us. That's my focus with him.”

The colt made an auspicious debut at Keeneland during the 2022 Breeders' Cup under card. The seven-length romp and a subsequent resounding victory at Oaklawn Park put him squarely in the Kentucky Derby discussions until he was sidelined for half a year. He returned to the races in the GI Haskell S., finishing third in an effort Baffert says showed Arabian Knight had some growing up to do:

“The race was a disaster,” Baffert said of his runner's effort in which he relinquished the lead late. “He was too fresh and wouldn't rate on the lead. I think it showed his immaturity. But despite the outcome, we did learn from it.”

Two months later, he won the GI Pacific Classic over the extended 10-furlong distance and prevailed in a hard-fought contest:

“That was a good race,” he recalled. “I thought Arabian Knight might get beat from the quarter-pole home, but he really dug it. Now he's finally getting into form where we're going to see the best of him.”

Baffert added: “We always thought of him as a top-class horse. You could see that as a yearling, which is why he cost us a pretty penny [$250,000 at KEESEP; $2.3 million 2-year-old at OBSAPR in 2022].”

GI Belmont S. winner Arcangelo (Arrogate) walked the shedrow for the second day in a row Monday after having a shoe removed Saturday afternoon.

“He just walked today,” said trainer Jena Antonucci. “I wasn't able to get the shoe back on yet. He walked for about 45 minutes. There's no reason not to have an extra walk day on him. He's pretty fresh back there, so I probably won't be able to get many more walks on him. I'm happy with the direction it's going. Everything is going the right way.”

Japanese Runners Fine Tune

Japan's Classic contender Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) had a routine warm-up and canter around the Santa Anita dirt track, but things were less than routine when he was schooling at the gate Monday morning. The G1 Dubai World Cup winner kicked out multiple times and was irritable with the gate crew.

“The gate is set lower than in Japan and he's such a big horse that the doors brushed against his hocks in an awkward manner, causing him to kick out,” explained the Breeders' Cup Japan representative Kate Hunter. “The vet checked him over and there are no issues. We will school him again on Wednesday after his breeze. For horses with similar issues, Santa Anita provides green mats that tie to the inside of the starting gate that we will use with him. They hug the hind-end and make it easier. We will now use that with all of our runners.”

Fellow Japanese hopeful Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) (Mile) cantered two laps of the turf with the final half easing up.

Juveniles & Sophomore Sprinters Make Moves

In his final prep for the GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint, Speed Boat Beach (Bayern) worked four furlongs in :47 4/5 and will walk at the barn Tuesday. Back from a long freshening to only begin his 3-year-old year in September, the colt made a strong impression in that seasonal bow, battling for the lead throughout the six furlong contest before ultimately just missing by a head on the wire.

“I really liked his comeback race,” Baffert said. “Since that effort, he's trained really well. I've got the screws tightened on him now.”

Bill Mott, no stranger to a big day at the Breeders' Cup, sent out GI Frizette victress Just F Y I (Justify) to work four furlongs in :48 3/5 with assistant trainer Neil Pozansky in the irons. The Krikorian homebred will try to get her owner his first 'Cup victory in 11 starts via the GI NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies  alongside War Like Goddess' second tilt in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf against the boys.

Of Just F Y I's work, Mott was very happy: “She went well. She had galloped really strong for two days in a row and I didn't want to work her off that. Neil was really happy with her and she looked great to me. He said she felt good and was responsive to whatever he wanted when she started the work.”

Unleash the Europeans

On the international front, the Saturday arrivals were released from quarantine Monday night and will be on track to train Tuesday morning. Live In The Dream (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}), in prep for the Turf Sprint, had a strong canter on the grass over five furlongs. He continued to travel with great enthusiasm in the hands of regular work rider Shoshana Cooksley since arriving. His owners Steve and Jolene De'Lemos were trackside to watch their sprinter exercise.

Mawj (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), also part of the Mile contingent, had a canter around the main track, gate schooled, and then walked in the gates before backing out in controlled fashion. The Godolphin team swapped riders to do the gate schooling with regular work rider Michael Greig hopping off for Matthew Lawson, who stood her in the gates.

“Mawj exercised very well this morning,” Greig said. “I'm really happy with her. She knows what she needs to do so I just leave it up to her.”

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“[The track] was the big question and we didn't know,” Mott said after saddling his first Frizette winner since Confessional in 1998. “You don't know until you run them. We thought she was a nice filly and, in this day and age, I guess if you break your maiden impressively you're looking at going to a stakes race because there aren't many allowance races.”

As for a start in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita, Mott added, “That would be the plan today. We'll wait and see how she comes back and go from there.”

The 9-2 chance found a perfect spot in an outside third through an opening quarter in :23.63 while navigating the one-turn mile over very sloppy going. The Krikorian homebred loomed boldly while four wide on the far turn, gained a narrow advantage at the top of the stretch and leveled off beautifully down the lane to win going away by 3 3/4 lengths over longshot Central Avenue (Street Sense). Life Talk (Gun Runner) was third. Favored Emery (More Than Ready), a runaway winner on debut in the Saratoga mud Aug. 30, was a disappointing fourth.

Krikorian and Mott were also represented one race earlier on the card by GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic S. winner War Like Goddess (English Channel).

“It's very special,” Mott said. “[Mr. Krikorian] has been a very good client and he sends me some horses that he thinks are going to be OK. I have a small group of horses for him, but they are all quite nice.”

Krikorian added, “It's very special. I couldn't be more pleased, I'm ecstatic.”

Pedigree Notes:

Triple Crown winner Justify, sire of last Sunday's G1 Qatar Prix Marcel Boussac Criterium des Pouliches heroine Opera Singer; Wednesday's GII Miss Grillo S. winner Hard to Justify; and Friday's GII Jessamine S. winner Buchu; is now responsible for four Grade I/Group 1 winners worldwide.

Out of a stakes-placed daughter of Krikorian's MGISW and savvy $35,000 FTKOCT yearling purchase Starrer (Dynaformer), Just F Y I hails from the female family of another accomplished set of fillies in MGISW Stellar Jayne (Wild Rush) and GISW Star Billing (Dynaformer).

This is also the family of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Uncle Benny (Declaration of War). Just F Y I's dam Star Act produced a 2023 full-sister to the victress and was bred to Life Is Good for 2024.

#5 Just F Y I splashes home and stays perfect while earning her first graded stakes win in the G1 Frizette S. at Belmont for trainer Bill Mott with @juniorandkellya aboard!

#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/b0iFlrJaiQ

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) October 7, 2023

Saturday, Belmont The Big A
FRIZETTE S.-GI, $400,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-7, 2yo, f, 1m, 1:37.59, sy.
1–JUST F Y I, 120, f, 2, by Justify
                1st Dam: Star Act (SP, $147,605), by Street Cry (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Starrer, by Dynaformer
                3rd Dam: To the Hunt, by Relaunch
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-George Krikorian (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado. $220,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $277,750. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Central Avenue, 120, f, 2, by Street Sense
                1st Dam: Centring (MGISP, $509,102), by A.P. Indy
                2nd Dam: Composure, by Touch Gold
                3rd Dam: Party Cited, by Alleged
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Michael Stidham. $80,000.
3–Life Talk, 120, f, 2, by Gun Runner
                1st Dam: Touchy Feely, by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Touched, by Touch Gold
                3rd Dam: Bay Barrister, by Miswaki
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($160,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $335,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Repole Stable; B-Gun Runner Syndicate, Mulholland Springs LLC & Tom Grether Farms Inc. (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $48,000.
Margins: 3 3/4, HF, 1. Odds: 4.80, 18.60, 1.90.
Also Ran: Emery, Irish Maxima, Princess Indy.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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