Champions Dream Third ‘Rising Star’ For Justify

It was a third Thoroughbred Daily News ‘Rising Star’ for Justify on Saturday when Champions Dream (2c Justify x Dancinginherdreams, by Tapit) won a Saratoga Maiden Special Weight on debut.

Drifting in slightly at the break in the seven-furlong dirt race, Champions Dream soon took the lead and had to enter a duel early on. He quickly put that one away for an uncontested lead, opening up on the field. In the stretch, one of the runners tried to catch him but Champions Dream left that one behind to win by an easy 2 ¼ lengths.

The colt is trained by Danny Gargan for Rosedown Racing Stables, who purchased him from Parrish Farms at the OBS March 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale for $425,000.

Bred by John Oxley, he is out of Grade II winner Dancinginherdreams. That mare is a half-sister to stakes winner Doubled and Grade III-placed Good Pick Nick with Doubled producing stakes-placed Honorifique. Another half-sister produced Grade II winner and Grade I-placed Texas Wedge. This is also the family of Irish champion Due Diligence.

The sire of three graded stakes winners, four stakes winners, and five stakes performers, Justify is also the sire of 12 winners – the second best of any freshman in North America.