United States of America
Sensational Breeders’ Cup double for Justify
Coolmore’s US Triple Crown winner, Justify (USA), continues to go from strength to strength in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.
On the opening day of the Breeders’ Cup carnival, the son of Scat Daddy (USA) left his mark early. His unbeaten daughter Just F Y I (USA) upset the highly regarded daughter of Beholder (USA) (Henny Hughes {USA}), Tamara (USA) (Bolt D’Oro {USA}) in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to give her trainer Bill Mott his 13th victory overall in Breeders’ Cup race, but first in the Juvenile Fillies.
Just F Y I is the daughter of the Street Cry (Ire) mare Star Act (USA). A dual winner, Star Act’s dam Starrer (USA) (Dynaformer {USA}) was a victress of the G1 Santa Margarita H. While this is also the family of the triple Group 1 victress Stellar Jayne (USA) (Wild Rush {USA}).
Just F Y I provided Justify his first victory in a Breeders Cup race, but less than an hour later, he would have a second. The Chad Brown-trained Hard To Justify (USA) was game in denying the Irish raider Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio {USA}) in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Hard To Justify forced her way into the race with a victory in the G3 Miss Grillo S. at Aqueduct in October. She is the sixth individual Group 1 winner for Justify.
The filly’s dam, Instant Reflex (USA), was placed in a Group 3 and a daughter of Quality Road (USA). Instant Reflex is a half-sister to the Group 3-placed Tarantino (USA) (Pioneerof The Nile {USA}).
Furthermore, Hard To Justify is from the family of the 2021 Champion Sprinter in Europe, Starman (GB), a victor of the G1 July Cup and the G2 Duke Of York S.
Justify is currently serving at Coolmore, Australia, for a fee of $77,000 (inc GST).
Breeders’ Cup winner for Blue Point!
RP Racing's Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) came into Friday's G1 Breeders' Juvenile Turf Sprint carrying great expectation. The 2-year-old's trainer, Mick Appleby, was making his Breeders' Cup debut, as was jockey Tom Marquand. Far from newcomers in their respective bases in the UK, the duo had to travel a long way for this year's World Championships at Santa Anita, but the voyage proved worth their while as the Irish-bred proved best in a blistering renewal of the five-furlong turf test.
“I'm still gobsmacked,” said a visibly moved Appleby following his first North American graded victory. “I can't believe it. He's been an absolute superstar all year and to come here and put in a performance like that is unreal.”
Accustomed to getting his way early against his fellow European rivals in four of five prior starts, Big Evs was given a crash course in 'American' speed as 6-1 shot Crimson Advocate (USA) (Nyquist {USA}) blasted to the front, streaking through an eye-popping quarter in 20.71s. Unrelenting, the 3-1 chance was not going to let her get away from him, pressing her relentlessly through a half in 43.65s. Ready to pounce on the game front-runner leaving the quarter pole, Big Evs collared the gallant filly in early stretch, scooted clear through the lane and had enough to hold off the fast-closing longshot - G2 Norfolk S. winner Valiant Force (USA) (Malibu Moon {USA}) – by 0.50l. Group 3 scorer Starlust (GB) (Zoustar), partnered by Frankie Dettori, rounded out the trifecta for European-based horses.
“Just amazing. Once he got out the gates and we got in an early position, I knew we wouldn't be far away,” said Marquand, who was realising his first Breeders' Cup win in his first attempt. “Turning for home nothing was going to catch him. He put his head down and galloped all the way to the line.
“To ride a Breeders' Cup winner is a dream come true. He's just an exceptional horse.”
Hardly a surprise here, Big Evs has proven remarkably consistent overseas, having finished better than second in four of five starts. Runner-up in his career debut at Redcar in May, the son of Freshman sire Blue Point (Ire) reeled off a pair of wins in the Windsor Castle S. at Royal Ascot before eking out a front-running neck win in the G3 Molecomb S. at Glorious Goodwood. Well supported for the G1 Nunthorpe S. at York, the colt faded to 14th behind.
Darley's Blue Point continued his scintillating season while earning his second top-level winner at Santa Anita Friday. The sire of Rosallion (Ire), winner of the G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere at ParisLongchamp, Blue Point is responsible for no less than 41 thus far. The leading first-season sire with over $1.7 million in earnings, the son of Shamardal (USA) currently ranks second overall among European-based sire with their juvenile offspring.
Blue Point (Ire) | Standing at Darley
The winner's dam, Hana Lina (GB), is a daughter of European Champion 2-Year-Old Filly and English Highweight juvenile filly Queen's Logic (Ire) (Grand Lodge {USA}), a half-sister to European Horse of the Year Dylan Thomas (Ire) and Classic winner and English Highweight 3-year-old filly Homecoming Queen (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). The latter is responsible for Highweight English and Irish juvenile filly Shale (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Queen's Logic also proved successful in the breeding shed, producing Lady Of The Desert (USA) (Rahy {USA}), herself a 3-year-old highweight at 5-7 furlongs.
Subsequent to her first black-type winner, Hana Lina foaled a Ribchester (Ire) filly last season and followed up with a colt by Earthlight (Ire) this term.
Blue Point is currently serving at Darley, Australia for a fee of $44,000 (inc GST).
Unquestionable gives Bassett Breeders’ Cup glory
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) was given a flawless steer by world-class reinsman Ryan Moore and proved far too classy in Friday's G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita, defeating his stable companion Mountain Bear (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) by about 3l.
Unquestionable is from the Sea The Stars (Ire) mare Strawberry Lace (Ire), a daughter of Listed winner Crying Lightening (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}). Unquestionable is from an extensive black-type family that includes the G1 Dubai Duty Free victor Cityscape (GB), the G2 Temple S. winner Bated Breath (GB), alongside the G1 The St Leger hero Logician (GB).
Unquestionable, is the 40th stakes winner for Wootton Bassett (GB), who capped an excellent start of the meeting for the Coolmore-based sires. Wootton Bassett is currently serving at Coolmore, Australia for a fee of $93,500 (inc GST).
Fierceness dominates Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
Fierceness (USA) (City Of Light {USA}), off at a wildly overlaid 16-1 from a 6-1 morning line, went through his gears in the final furlong and a half to turn Friday's G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile into a one-horse affair, as he dusted his fellow previous Grade 1-winning fellow 'Rising Stars' Muth (USA) (Good Magic {USA}) and Locked (USA) (Gun Runner {USA}) by a distance.
As brilliant as he was in winning his six-furlong debut by better than 11l, good for a 95 Beyer, he was equally disappointing at when clearly failing to handle the slippery underfoot conditions behind 'Rising Star' Timberlake (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) and General Partner (USA) (Speightstown {USA}) in the G1 Champagne S. The gamblers were unforgiving as they gravitated to Locked, Muth and Timberlake, but Fierceness put himself right into the race with a clean dispatch from gate nine, pressing a modest early tempo outside of General Partner. Sliding up at the quarter pole, Fierceness exploded when John Velazquez went for him and pulled clear with each stride in a final time about 2.5s faster than the Juvenile Fillies.
Velazquez was winning his 20th Breeders' Cup race and first Juvenile since guiding this owner's Uncle Mo (USA) back in 2010. Repole’s recently retired Forte (USA) won last year's Juvenile for Todd Pletcher, who was celebrating a 15th Breeders' Cup success.
Fierceness is from the Stay Thirsty (USA) mare Nonna Bella (USA), who is a half-sister to the G1 Wood Memorial winner Outwork (USA).
The colt is the seventh stakes winner and second individual Group 1 winner for City Of Light (USA), who stands at Lane’s End Farm. City Of Light stands alongside his outstanding sire Quality Road (USA).
A four-time Group 1 winner, City Of Light is also a Breeders’ Cup hero having romped in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.
