Japanese Double for Justify Juveniles

Justify’s first two Japanese winners came in a big way on Saturday with a double at Hanshin to take his winner count up to 25.

Jovian (2c Justify x Runway Doll, by Majestic Warrior) kicked off the day when going off as the favorite in the opener over 1 1/8 miles. The colt was given pacesetting duties and relished the responsibility when kept under pressure by rivals. He proved to be just toying with them in the end when asked to go in the final quarter mile and romping to a seven-length win.

Jovian is trained by Yutaka Okumura for Kazumi Yoshida and was bred by DS Stable in Kentucky. Jovan is out of a half-sister to the stakes winning Song Warrior and to the dam of Grade II winner and Grade I-placed Conquest Panthera, Grade III winner Happy Like a Fool and two other stakes performers. The family also includes multiple Grade I winner Mind Control.

Runway Doll has an Uncle Mo yearling colt to come.

Three races later, Awesome Result (2f Justify x Blossomed, by Deputy Minister) represented his fillies well over the same distance. Unlike Jovian, she sat in midpack for her debut while learning to handle the traffic around her. She was piloted closer to the lead in the turn to make her run for the win and was willing to go when asked.

Sent after the leaders, she rolled by just inside the final eighth and kept going for a 2 ½ length win.

Representing Insel Racing Co, Awesome Result is trained by Yasutoshi Ikee. Bred by Orpendale, Chelston, and Wynatt, Awesome Result is a half-sister to Grade I winner Sippican Harbor and Grade III second Bodacious Babe. Their dam Blossomed is one of four stakes producers for her own dam.

Blossomed foaled a Justify colt this year who brought $350,000 at the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Already leading the freshmen sire rankings by blacktype winners (6) and graded stakes winners (4), these winners also put him at the top by earnings.