Parenting Catches Eye in ‘Rising Star’ Debut

It was a Thoroughbred Daily News ‘Rising Star’ performance for Parenting (3c Justify x Iadorakid, by Lemon Drop Kid) on Friday to get his career off to a perfect start at Santa Anita.

Trained by Bob Baffert for Gandharvi, the sophomore almost immediately joined a battle for the lead in the 5 ½ furlong dirt race. That duel continued throughout the early stages of the race, but by the stretch, he had gotten the best of his early rival. As that one faded, Parenting was given a hand ride to the wire to win by 2 ¾ lengths.

Bred by Jason Hall and BCS Thoroughbreds, Parenting was a $750,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds In Training purchase by his racing owner last year.

The colt is out of a winning half-sister to Canadian champion and Grade I winner El Tormenta and Grade III winner Zero Tolerance. The colt’s fifth dam is Canadian champion and bluehen broodmare Classy ‘n Smart.

Justify’s first two crops have produced eight TDN Rising Stars with the group including last year’s European Champion 2-Year-Old City of Troy, who lines up for the Group I 2000 Guineas next week.