Valentine Candy Continues Justify’s Juvenile Hot Streak

Justify’s top-class juvenile crop continued to produce on Friday when Valentine Candy (2c Justify x Taste Like Candy, by Candy Ride) won his first stakes in the Advent Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

The Steve Asmussen trainee was among the best out of the gate in the 5 ½ furlong race and challenged for the lead throughout the backstretch run. He raced three wide around the turn to secure the lead and it was child’s play for the juvenile from there.

Kicking clear in the stretch, he romped to a 6 ¾ length victory as the race favorite for his second career stakes placing and second victory after breaking his maiden on debut at Saratoga.

Bred in Kentucky by Pine Creek, Valentine Candy is owned by William and Corinee Heiligbrodt, Jackpot Farm, Whispering Oaks Farm, and Coteau Grove Farms.

The colt is one of two runners out of the Grade I-placed Taste Like Candy. She is one of two stakes performers and three stakes producers out of her own dam with her half-sister producing American Pharoah’s stakes placed Prince of Pharoahs and another half-sister producing multiple stakes placed Wentz.

This is also the family of multiple Grade I winner Affirmed Success and Grade I winner Exbourne.

Justify’s nine juvenile stakes winners this year ties him with fellow Scat Daddy son No Nay Never aboard the top of the leaderboard among all Northern Hemisphere stallions. His 13 stakes performers in the age group puts him second to that stallion.

Justify’s six juvenile graded stakes winners, four Grade I winners, and five Grade I stakes performing 2-year-olds has him on top among all Northern Hemisphere stallions.