Tag: Justify

Sophomore Turfers Take Centerstage at Belmont Saturday

A pair of Grade I events for 3-year-olds on grass will co-anchor a loaded 12-race program at Belmont Park Saturday.

European invader The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), a narrow winner of the G2 Dante S. May 18 and fifth-place finisher after stumbling at the start in the G1 English Derby June 3, will make the trip across the pond for trainer Andrew Balding for the GI Belmont Derby Invitational. The 7-2 morning-line favorite, drawn widest of all in post 11, will square off against 10 rivals, including GII Pennine Ridge S. one-two-three Kalik (Collected), 'TDN Rising Star' Far Bridge (English Channel) and narrow GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Silver Knott (GB) (Lope de Vega {Ire}); and GII American Turf S. winner Webslinger (Constitution).

“He's a high-class horse,” Balding said. “He won the (G2 Juddmonte) Royal Lodge last year and this year he won our main Derby trial at York. He ran a good race in the Derby, but we felt he didn't get the mile and a half. Obviously, the option to drop back to 10 furlongs was attractive. Hopefully, it's a good fit for him.”

A field of nine will line up in the female counterpart in the GI Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational. Trainer Graham Motion will saddle 2-1 morning-line favorite and GIII Regret S. June 3 heroine Mission of Joy (Kitten's Joy) and Irish Group 3 winner Speirling Beag (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who makes her U.S. debut following a fifth-place finish in the G3 Prix Penelope in France Apr. 1. Trainer Chad Brown will seek his seventh Belmont Oaks trophy via undefeated Hilltop S. May 19 winner Aspray (Quality Road) and GII Wonder Again S. June 11 heroine Prerequisite (Upstart).

'TDN Rising Star' and last year's runaway GIII Dwyer S. winner Charge It (Tapit), meanwhile, headlines a five-horse field in the GII Suburban S. Unbeaten sophomore fillies Maple Leaf Mel (Cross Traffic) and Dazzling Blue (Into Mischief) and GII Eight Belles S. winner Red Carpet Ready (Oscar Performance) will do battle in a fantastic renewal of the GIII Victory Ride S.

Derby Day at the Shoe…

Verifying (Justify), second in both the GI Toyota Blue Grass S. Apr. 8 and GIII Matt Winn S. June 11, will be favored to break through at the graded level in the GIII Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis. He dueled through a wicked early pace and paid the price, fading to finish 16th in the GI Kentucky Derby.

“He's doing really well,” trainer Brad Cox said. “I love how he came out of the Matt Winn. It will be back in 27 days, but he's a horse we felt we needed to get a race under his belt. He's run really well, just was narrowly defeated in the Matt Winn and the Blue Grass. His Derby was a throw out with the pace, going too quick too early. But he's a nice horse, he's doing well physically, looks amazing.”

The nine-horse field for the Indiana Derby also includes GIII Gotham S. winner Raise Cain (Violence), grassy Hawthorne Derby winner Act a Fool (Oscar Performance) and the highly regarded Cagliostro (Upstart), a strong second behind the talented Scotland (Good Magic) in an optional claimer at Churchill Downs June 3.

Taxed (Collected), an 11-1 upset winner of the GII George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico May 19, looks for her second straight win in the GIII Indiana Oaks. She'll face the Ken McPeek-trained GI Central Bank Ashland S. heroine Defining Purpose (Cross Traffic), purchased privately by Northern Farm since finishing seventh in the GI Kentucky Oaks.

Curlin Filly Headlines Delaware Handicap…

Juddmonte homebred Idiomatic (Curlin), a well-beaten second in the GII Ruffian S. at Belmont May 6 and wire-to-wire winner of the GIII Shawnee S. at Churchill June 3, is the clear cut one to beat in the GII Delaware H. The field of six also includes: Morning Matcha (Central Banker), second in last term's GI Cotillion S. and the local prep Obeah S. last time May 27; and GIII Royal Delta S. heroine Classy Edition (Classic Empire).

Graded Duo Beneath the Lights at Prairie Meadows…

Imonra (Violence) will make her stakes debut in the GIII Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows Saturday evening. The card also includes the GIII Prairie Meadows Cornhusker H. for older horses and the $250,000 Iowa Derby.

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Fozzy Stack: ‘Aspen Grove Has Nothing To Lose In Belmont Oaks’

Fozzy Stack says that Aspen Grove (Ire) is something of a forgotten horse heading into the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. and revealed that there were genuine excuses for her below-par effort in the Irish 1,000 Guineas when the Justify filly was found to be in season. 

Aspen Grove carried Craig Bernick's distinctive silks to victory in a Group 3 contest at the Curragh last term and, with that valuable black-type success already secured, Stack felt connections could afford to be brave in travelling her over for Saturday's Grade I assignment. 

Stack said of the filly who is co-owned by Mrs. John Magnier, “She was in season when she ran in the Irish 1,000 Guineas so there was very much a plausible excuse for that effort. There's only one Guineas, she couldn't run in it next year, so that's why we took our chance. 

“Listen, she's travelled over well and she seems to have settled in nicely. Mark Enright is over here with her and he is happy with her so we'll see what happens.”

He added, “She has good form. She ran very well on her reappearance at Leopardstown when third in a Group 3 despite being caught wide the whole way round. 

“You could run around in Group 3s at home in Ireland for forty grand or you can come over here for a lot of money. She's already a Group 3 winner so she's nothing to lose and it all to gain.”

Aspen Grove is a general 8-1 chance with most firms for the Belmont Oaks and will have the assistance of Oisin Murphy in the saddle. 

Murphy's primary reason for jetting out Stateside is to ride Andrew Balding's The Foxes (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in the Belmont Derby and Stack said that it would have been “silly” not to snap up a rider of his quality for Aspen Grove. 

He said, “It made a lot of sense to get Oisin to ride the filly. He's coming over to ride The Foxes for Andrew Balding anyway so it would have been silly not to use him while he's here.”

Stack has enjoyed a good start to his domestic campaign in Ireland and is operating at a 17 per cent strike-rate with 11 winners under his belt. 

Indeed, he has already tasted big-race success on American soil when Yesterdayoncemore (Ire) (No Nay Never) won a Grade II at Del Mar in 2019.

Like Yesterdayoncemore, Stack says that Aspen Grove could well continue her career in America for Bernick, who he describes as an important supporter of his famous County Tipperary stable.

Stack said, “We'll get this over with first, but we will probably run her at Saratoga or at Del Mar after this. I'm very lucky to have Craig as an owner. He's a very nice guy and has a great interest in the game. He actually bred Aspen Grove.”

On the race itself, he added, “Graham Motion's filly [Mission Of Joy (Kitten's Joy)] sets a good standard and Chad Brown has a couple of nice fillies [Aspray (Quality Road) and Prerequisite (Upstart)] in there as well. 

“There are no easy Group 1 races wherever you go but they are usually not as difficult to win on the grass in America than they are in Europe so hopefully she can go close.”

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Justify’s City Of Troy A New TDN Rising Star

The Curragh's seven-furlong Barronstown Stud Irish EBF Maiden has proved a font of high-class performers down the years and it could be Saturday's race played host to another as Ballydoyle's City Of Troy (Justify–Together Forever {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) justified 6-4 favouritism in style to join the ranks of TDN Rising Stars. Withdrawn from his intended debut here in May, the son of the G1 Fillies' Mile winner was quickly at the fore alongside the experienced Instant Appeal (GB) (Advertise {GB}). Asserting from the two pole, the full-brother to his London Gold Cup-winning stablemate Bertinelli finished off strongly to hit the line with 2 1/2 lengths to spare over the Joseph O'Brien-trained newcomer Galen (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), with 1 1/4 lengths back to Instant Appeal in third.

In doing so, City Of Troy who is the sixth TDN Rising Star for Justify was maintaining Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore's 100% record at this year's Irish Derby Festival with the pair combining with a treble on Friday. O'Brien has won this particular maiden under its different titles with the promoted Rip Van Winkle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Roderic O'Connor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Duke Of Marmalade (Ire) (Danehill), while Horatio Nelson (Ire) (Danehill) and Australia (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) were beaten in it before proving top-class.

The way the trainer spoke afterwards, City Of Troy could easily fit into that category. “Ryan has just said it's the first time he's ridden a two-year-old here and thought that he wasn't going to be able to pull him up–he just started getting longer and longer towards the line and ended up at the boards,” he said. “He is relentless and has a great presence. His brother is more of a three or four-year-old and this one is made like a two or three-year-old.”

“He's strong and powerful and a medium-sized horse with a giant stride, the Ballydoyle handler added. “His stride is twice the size of his body and that's very rare, but it's what Justify had. With the big ones, you have to wait but with these medium-sized ones you now see what they can do. Justify had speed as well as stamina and is matching very well with the European mares. Ryan said 'you can go anywhere with him and as far as you want', so he'll go into one of those seven-furlong races next [the Tyros, Futurity and National].”

Justify's five other TDN Rising Stars include the exciting 2-year-old filly Ramatuelle, who captured the G3 Prix du Bois by five lengths last month, and the stable's unbeaten Statuette who took this fixture's G2 Airlie Stud S. 12 months ago.

Pedigree Notes
City Of Troy is also a half-brother to War Front's trio of black-type performers Military Style, Absolute Ruler and King Of Athens with the former successful in the G3 Tyros S. Along with Bertinelli, who looks a surefire future pattern-race performer, this colt's debut effort means that Together Forever's first five foals have all made an impact. A half-sister to the high-class Lord Shanakill (Speightstown), who was successful in the G1 Prix Jean Prat, G2 Lennox S. and G2 Mill Reef S., she hails from the family of Al Bahathri. Next up is a yearling filly by Uncle Mo and a filly foal by Dubawi (Ire).

1st-Curragh, €20,000, Mdn, 7-1, 2yo, c/g, 7fT, 1:23.96, gd.
CITY OF TROY, c, 2, by Justify
     1st Dam: Together Forever (Ire) (G1SW-Eng, SW-Ire, $318,729), by Galileo (Ire)
     2nd Dam: Green Room, by Theatrical (Ire)
     3rd Dam: Chain Fern, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $13,094. O-Mrs John Magnier & Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY); T-Aidan O'Brien. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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Observations: Ballydoyle Newcomer Takes The Eye In Curragh Opener

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Insights features the son of G1SW Together Forever, the Justify colt City of Troy.

13.40 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo c/g, 7fT
CITY OF TROY (Justify) looks a significant member of the contingent for this Barronstown Stud Irish EBF Maiden for colts and geldings, being the chosen Ballydoyle representative in a race used for the stable's past luminaries Rip Van Winkle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Gleneagles (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Roderic O'Connor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Duke Of Marmalade (Ire) (Danehill), Horatio Nelson (Ire) (Danehill) and Australia (GB) (Galileo {Ire}). A son of the G1 Fillies' Mile winner Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the March-foaled bay is a full-brother to the stable's smart 3-year-old Bertinelli and a half to the useful War Front trio Military Style, Absolute Ruler and King Of Athens.

14.25 Newmarket, Mdn, £10,000, 2yo, f, 7fT
RACE THE WIND (IRE) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), one of two Charlie Appleby-trained newcomers in the line-up alongside William Buick's choice Dance Sequence (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), is a half-sister to the triple group 1 winner Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) and the GI Summer S. scorer Albahr (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) from the family of Dubawi's Master Of The Seas (Ire). Dance Sequence, who due to riding arrangements may ultimately edge favouritism in the race won two years ago by Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), is a descendant of Magnificient Style (Silver Hawk) whose most famous progeny was Nathaniel (Ire) who made his own debut at this track.

19.12 Chantilly, Cond, €34,000, 2yo, 6fT
ALCANTOR (FR) (New Bay {GB}), who earned a TDN Rising Star tag with a scintillating debut display at Saint-Cloud in June, is dropped back a furlong by Ande Fabre for more experience prior to being tested at Deauville next month. From the family of Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}), Baron Edouard De Rothschild's colour-bearer faces five rivals including the Saint-Cloud debut scorer Havana Cigar (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) representing White Birch Farm and Jean-Claude Rouget.

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