Hard to Justify (f, 2, Justify–Instant Reflex, by Quality Road) punched her ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with a 7-1 upset in Wednesday's rescheduled 'Win and You're In' GII Miss Grillo S. at the Big A.
She sat a stalking trip in second and turned up the heat on the far turn. The bay stuck her head in front in the stretch and dug down deep to get the money by 3/4 of a length. Life's an Audible (Audible) was second; Whimsically (Uncle Mo) was third.
Hard to Justify, a narrow debut winner after overcoming a troubled trip in her unveiling over the Saratoga lawn July 23, becomes the 13th graded winner for Justify and ninth Miss Grillo winner for trainer Chad Brown.
Wednesday, Aqueduct
MISS GRILLO S.-GII, $200,000, Belmont The Big A, 10-4, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.92, fm.
1–HARD TO JUSTIFY, 120, f, 2, by Justify
1st Dam: Instant Reflex (GSP), by Quality Road
2nd Dam: Without Delay, by Seeking the Gold
3rd Dam: Slow Down, by Seattle Slew
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($190,000
Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Wise Racing LLC; B-Yeguada Centurion S.L.
(KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $110,000. Lifetime
Record: 2-2-0-0, $167,750.
2–Life's an Audible, 120, f, 2, Audible–Catkins, by Data Link.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($25,000 Wlg '21
KEENOV; $90,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $200,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR).
O-Repole Stable; B-Susan Moulton (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$40,000.
3–Whimsically, 118, f, 2, Uncle Mo–Coming Attraction, by
Tapit. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($180,000
Ylg '22 FTSAUG). O-Haymarket Farm LLC, Ingordo, David,
Manganaro Bloodstock, LBD Stable LLC & Diamond T Racing;
B-Audley Farm Equine, LLC (VA); T-Cherie DeVaux. $24,000.
Margins: HF, 1, 2 3/4. Odds: 7.30, 12.70, 59.75.
Also Ran: Gala Brand, Memorialize, Gold Lightning, Later Darling, Sierra Sky, Steel Lute, Dancing Spirit, Camila T (Ire). Scratched: Appellate. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
#2 Hard to Justify steps up to stakes company and stays perfect in the G2 Miss Grillo S. at Belmont!
Chad Brown trains the 2-year-old filly by Justify and Flavien Prat had the mount.
#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/5cF3UX88eq
— TwinSpires Racing
(@TwinSpires) October 4, 2023
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