Just F Y I First Breeders’ Cup Winner for Justify

Justify’s Just F Y I (2f Justify x Star Act, by Street Cry) stayed undefeated in a big way on Friday with a victory in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on her way to like Champion 2-Year-Old Filly honors.

Coming into the race off a win in the Grade I Frizette Stakes last out, the filly was happy to track Grade I winner Tamara for much of the 1 1/16-mile dirt race after breaking out from the widest position of all. Just F Y I stayed a few paths wide under Junior Alvarado as she kept the pressure on the leader until they entered the turn.

It didn’t take long after that until she glided up alongside the race favorite and quickly took over going into the stretch. Kept busy in the final furlong, Just F Y I was joined near the line but won by a neck to give Justify his first Breeders’ Cup winner.

“By the half mile pole, I was excited,” Alvarado said. “I knew what I had under me … At that point I thought I had a good chance at it. Right when I turned for home and I asked her, she took off very nicely and held off all the way to the wire. She's a very leggy filly, yes, but she's very quick underneath me. She moves very quick. If I asked her to go to the lead today, she probably would have done that easily with no problem.”

The Bill Mott-trained Just F Y I has now won all three of her starts as a homebred for George Krikorian.

Just F Y I is one of three winners from three to race out of the stakes-placed Star Act. That mare is one of two stakes performers out of the dual Grade I winner Starrer, who is a half-sister to triple Grade I winner Stellar Jayne. Starrer is also the granddam of dual stakes winner and Grade I Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Turf runner up Uncle Benny.

This page also includes Grade I winner Star Billing with at least one stakes performer under each of Just F Y I’s first four dams.

Star Act foaled another Justify filly on February 22 this year.

Just F Y I gave Justify his fourth Grade I win since October 1 with those victories coming on both the dirt and turf in three different countries.