Justify Yearlings a Hit During First Keeneland September Session
The debut of Justify’s first yearlings in the Keeneland September ring brought fireworks on Monday when his 10 sold averaged $432,200.
They were led by the fourth most expensive yearling of the sale, a three-quarter brother to Scat Daddy’s multiple graded stakes winner and Grade II-placed Pretty N Cool sold for $950,000. The colt’s dam Stayclassysandiego is a stakes-placed half-sister to Grade I winner Sean Avery and one other stakes-placed runner. Stayclassysandiego returned to Caravaggio this year.
Consigned by Baccari Bloodstock, the colt was one of three Justify colts purchased by Hideyuki Mori on Monday for the highest three prices by the stallion.
“I went out in search of the very best Justify I could possibly find, privately or at public auction,” Baccari told Thoroughbred Daily News. “And I felt he was it. He is a great strong physical and I am a believer in the horse and I took a swing.”
A Justify colt out of Streaming is also returning to Japan with Mori after he reached to $650,000 for the Hill ‘n’ Dale offering.
A Grade I winner herself, Streaming is a full sister to stakes winner Treasuring and half-sister to three other stakes horses out of Teaming. Teaming is also the granddam of Grade III winner Cezanne, stakes winner and Grade I-placed Arabian Hope and stakes winner Counterforce.
This colt’s third dam is the great broodmare Better Than Honour.
“I have seen a lot of the Justifys and I really like them,” Mori told Thoroughbred Daily News. “They have a beautiful line and they move very well. Based on their action and physical form, I think they will probably perform quite well on the Japanese turf.”
A half-brother to Justify’s studmate and champion 2-year-old Classic Empire was bought for $625,000 by Mori from the Bluewater Sales consignment to wrap up Mori’s trio.
In addition to Classic Empire, he is a half-brother to stakes winners Anytime Magic and Uptown Twirl and stakes-placed Exclamation Point. Stakes winning second dam In Her Glory is the dam of two stakes performers with other daughters producing multiple stakes winner Bronx Beauty, Grade II-placed His Glory, and stakes-placed Atrevete.
Sambuca Classica had another Justify colt this year.
Justify had by far the most expensive offering by a freshman sire on Monday and also had the second and third most expensive as well. Justify’s other Day 1 offerings sold for $435,000, $425,000, $400,000 etc. with the stallion having the second highest gross of any stallion.