International Success Continues for Justify Runners
Justify scored his first French winner and 26th winner overall on Tuesday when Secretive (2f Justify x Media Mischief, by Into Mischief) won on debut at Deauville.
Racing over 7 ½ furlongs, Secretive settled on the rail just behind dueling leaders for much of the race. As they turned into the stretch, jockey Gregory Benoist pulled her from her spot to go through a hole that opened up three paths wide and she steadily made progress to get up in the shadow of the wire and build her margin to a neck by the time they hit the line.
Bred in France by China Horse Club, Secretive is trained by Yann Barberot for Prime Equestrian S.A.R.L.
She is the second foal and second winner out of Media Mischief, a half-sister to multiple Group I winner Nebraska Tornado, Group II winner Burning Sun and Group III winner Mirabilis.
Those produced by Media Mischief’s half-sisters and their daughters are this year’s Group I Irish Derby winner Westover, Grade II winner Anothertwistafate, and Group III winners Mallory and Monarch’s Glen.
Justify’s 26 winners come in five countries with the stallion scoring a double in Japan on Saturday as well.
His six stakes winners, four graded stakes winners, and seven graded stakes performers are the best of any freshman sire in the Northern Hemisphere with his 10 stakes performers fourth best on that list.