Fourth G1 Winner for Justify
Currently working his way through his fourth book of mares in Australia, Justify has been on a roll with his Northern Hemisphere juveniles and added a new Group I winner to his tally on the weekend when progressive filly Just FYI (2f Justify x Star Act, by Street Cry) won the Group I $400,000 Frizette Stakes (1m) at Belmont at just her second start.
Trained by Bill Mott for owner / breeder George Krikorian, Just FYI won on debut at Saratoga back in August and took a big step forward when making light of the wet conditions to power clear and win by more than four lengths earning a start in the Breeders Cup at Santa Anita next month.
"[The track] was the big question and we didn't know," Mott said.
"You don't know until you run them. We thought she was a nice filly and, in this day and age, I guess if you break your maiden impressively you're looking at going to a stakes race because there aren't many allowance races."
California and the Breeders Cup meeting now looms large for Just FYI, who is the fourth Group winning juvenile filly for Justify in the space of a week joining Opera Singer, Hard to Justify and Buchu.
"That would be the plan today. We'll wait and see how she comes back and go from there,” Mott added.
Just FYI is the best of three winners from stakes-placed Street Cry mare Star Act, a daughter of dual Group I winning mare Starrer, a half-sister to triple Group I winner Stellar Jayne.
Just FYI is the 21st stakes-winner for Justify and is his fourth Group I winner. The champion son of Scat Daddy is now running at over 10% SW to runner and stands at a fee of $77,000 in Australia this spring.