The student or the teacher? It was going to come down to one or the other as the second race at Saratoga Saturday, a six-furlong maiden special weight, developed into a stretch battle between the Wayne Lukas-trained Just Steel (Justify) and the Todd Pletcher-trained Be You (Curlin).
At the wire, it was Just Steel who had his nose in front, showing once again that the 87-year-old Hall of Famer still knows how to get it done.
“You can't let the kids beat you,” Lukas said. “You've got to get them out there. They're awful tough. Todd's horse ran beautifully. I would have given an extra $1,000 for the post position (the ten post). I love the post position, but then we ended up on the inside and it wasn't that great. He wears blinkers and it took a little while for them to get together, but they were banging around a little in the stretch. I don't know that we wouldn't have got it anyhow, but I'm glad we didn't have that decision to make. I think he's going to come around to be a good one.”
Just Steel, showed little in his debut when fifth at Ellis Park in June, but woke up in a July 15 maiden at Saratoga, finishing second. It was a promising sign for the $500,000 Keeneland September purchase, who is owned by BC Stables LLC. BC Stables is a partnership of John Bellinger and Brian Coelho, a pair that has showed unwavering confidence in Lukas and given him the type of budget that should allow him to bring home some promising talent from the yearling sale.
“We will try to build up a strong stable and try to capitalize on Wayne's expertise,” Coelho told the TDN last year.
Last year's group of BC Stables LLC-Lukas two-year-olds included TDN Rising Star Summer Promise (Uncle Mo), who broke her maiden at Churchill Downs and then was second in the GIII Schuylerville S.
The team got even more aggressive last fall at Keeneland, buying five yearlings for a combined $3,515,000. The most expensive purchase was Lady Moscato (Quality Road), a filly who went for $1,150,000. She has started twice, finishing second both times. Cowboy Code (Into Mischief), a $1 million buy, has been unplaced in two starts. The other two from the Keeneland Class of 2022 have yet to make their debut.
The betting public chose the Pletcher horse, sending Be You off at 3-2 in his career debut. Ozone (Mitole), making his second career start for Steve Asmussen, broke quickest and led by a half-length down the backstretch. Just Steel tracked him from the three path and took a narrow lead at the top of the stretch. Be You, in the six path on the turn, drew even with Just Steel in the stretch and briefly put his head in front. There was little separating the top two in the final 100 yards, but Just Steel fought back and managed to stick his nose in front at the wire.
Joel Rosario was aboard the winner, who paid 12.80 and covered the distance run over a fast track in 1:10.22.
It was the second winner at the meet for Lukas and both of them came in maiden special weight events. The first was Seize the Gray, a winner of a July 29 maiden.
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