Pleasant Acres Stallions in Morriston, Fla., announces the arrival of graded stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Verifying (Justify out of Diva Delite, by Repent) for the 2024 breeding season. He will stand his first season for a $10,000 fee.
“We are very excited to introduce this talented son of Triple Crown Winner Justify into our stallion barn at Pleasant Acres Stallions,” said Director of Stallion Services Christine Jones. “There is only one other son of Justify at stud currently in the USA and his fee is $30,000. Verifying's pedigree is one of the finest available, and at $10,000 he will certainly be a positive influence for Florida breeders with his future crops.”
Trained by Brad Cox, Verifying began his career at two with a win at first asking at Saratoga. He entered the Champagne Stakes (G1) at Belmont at the Big A in his second career start, running a solid second place. At three, he won the Indiana Derby (G3) and placed second in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1),H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes (G1), and Matt Winn Stakes (G3). He was on the board seven out of 11 career starts – 64% – with career earnings of nearly $853,000.
“We are always looking for stallions we know will raise the bar in Florida,” said Pleasant Acres Stallions owner Joe Barbazon. “We've had our eye on Verifying since he ran in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont. Not only has he shown athleticism and talent during his career, he has also lived up to his impeccable pedigree.”
Regally bred, Verifying was produced by Diva Delite, a Florida-bred mare who showed sufficient class and stamina to win the Florida Oaks (G3), racing 1 1/16 miles on dirt. She also won the Gasparilla and Suncoast Stakes. She is a daughter of Repent, winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2), Louisiana Derby (G2), Risen Star (G3), and Kentucky Cup Juvenile Stakes (G3). He was runner up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and Travers Stakes (G1).
“We jumped at the opportunity to be part of Florida's most exciting new stallion,” said Jeff Bloom of Bloom Racing Stable. “A 2-year-old debut sprint winner at Saratoga and a two-turn graded stakes winner at three, Verifying has a stunning pedigree and is by leading second crop sire Justify. Being a half brother to our champion mare Midnight Bisou is simply icing on the cake!”
Diva also produced Verifying's half sister, Midnight Bisou, the 2019 Eclipse Award winner as champion older dirt female. In four seasons, she won 13 graded stakes – including five Grade 1 events and earned nearly $7.5 million. In the 2022 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, Midnight Bisou sold for an impressive $5.5 million.
In 2019, Diva Delite was purchased at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Mixed Sale for $1.2 million with Verifying in utero.
Verifying's sire, Justify, scored nearly $3.8 million and retired unbeaten with six firsts from six starts – including four Grade 1 events. He won the Triple Crown in 2018 and earned the year's Eclipse Awards as Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old male. With an outstanding $633,000 average earnings per start and five triple digit Beyer Speed Figures to his credit, Justify retired to stud in 2019. His yearlings in 2023 sold for up to $850,000. By early November 2023, he was the leading second-crop sire by SWs (13), GSWs (10) and G1SWs (6) and was the leading juvenile sire by a substantial amount.
For more information on Pleasant Acres Stallions, visit www.pleasantacresstallions.com. Pleasant Acres Stallions, owned by Joe and Helen Barbazon, is located at 2153 S.E. HWY-41, Morriston, FL 32668. Owners: Joe Barbazon and Helen Barbazon
Pleasant Acres Stallions contact: Christine Jones, director of stallion services: 352-804-6618, christine@pleasantacresstallions.com.
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