Double joy for Justify as daughters Just F Y I and Hard To Justify triumph at the Breeders' Cup

Justify stole the show at Santa Anita on Friday when his daughters Just F Y I and Hard To Justify landed Grade 1 spoils in the Juvenile Fillies and Juvenile Fillies Turf respectively. 

Coolmore's Triple Crown winner is already responsible for the unbeaten Dewhurst Stakes hero City Of Troy and impressive Prix Marcel Boussac winner Opera Singer in Europe, meaning he has sired four Group/Grade 1 winners since October 1 in three different countries and on dirt and grass. 

The son of Scat Daddy, who will stand the 2024 breeding season at $200,000, is also responsible for Grade 1 Woody Stephens Stakes scorer Arabian Lion and Belmont Oaks winner Aspen Grove, both from his first crop. 

Hard To Justify completes a Grade 1 double for Justify when landing the Juvenile Fillies TurfCredit: Sean M. Haffey

Overall, the eight-year-old has 16 individual Group/Graded winners to his name from 22 black type winners and 35 stakes performers.

Just F Y I is a homebred of George Krikorian and is now unbeaten in three starts, two of them Grade 1s. Her first success at the top level came when defying the wet track at Belmont in the Frizette Stakes, while her Breeders' Cup victory was a first for her sire. She is out of the stakes-placed Street Cry mare Star Act, herself a daughter of Grade 1 winner Starrer, a Dynaformer half-sister to the top-class Stellar Jayne.

The also undefeated Hard To Justify was bred by Yeguada Centurion - who, remarkably, is also the breeder of Big Rock, Blue Rose Cen and Ramatuelle - and sold to Wise Racing for $190,000 at Keeneland's September Yearling Sale when consigned by Nicky Drion Thoroughbreds. She is out of the Grade 3-placed Quality Road mare Instant Reflex, herself a half-sister to two Graded performers. 

Unquestionable and Ryan Moore return to the winner's enclosure Credit: Sean M. Haffey

Those two wins were complimented by another strike for a Coolmore sire in Wootton Bassett when Unquestionable justified favouritism in the Juvenile Turf. Leading home Coolmore's No Nay Never colt Mountain Bear, he was gaining a deserved top-level victory after his second to Rosallion in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere last time out.

Now a ninth individual Group or Grade 1 winner for Wootton Bassett, Al Shaqab Racing and Coolmore's colt is also notably another top-level winner for Sea The Stars as a broodmare sire. He is out of the twice-raced Strawberry Lace, who hails from the Juddmonte family of Cityscape, Bated Breath and Logician. Sea The Stars' daughters have also produced runway Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner Big Rock, Grand Prix de Paris scorer Onesto and dual St Leger winner Eldar Eldarov. 

Another hot young sire in Blue Point got in on the action when his son Big Evs struck in the Juvenile Turf Sprint. Now responsible for two individual Group/Grade 1 winners from his first crop - the other being Rosallion - he has sired a total of five black-type scorers. Darley announced this week that he will stand for an increased fee of €60,000 next year.

Big Evs storms home to take Grade 1 success in the Juvenile Turf SprintCredit: Edward Whitaker

Big Evs was bred by Rabbah Bloodstock out of the placed Oasis Dream mare Hana Lina, a daughter of the unbeaten Cheveley Park Stakes winner Queen's Logic and a half-sister to Lowther Stakes winner Lady Of The Desert, dam of another Lowther scorer in Queen Kindly. Big Evs sold to Michael Cleere for 50,000gns at Tattersalls Book 2 when offered by Houghton Bloodstock.

There was also a first Grade 1 winner for Lane's End Farm Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner City Of Light when Fierceness routed his opponents in the Juvenile Dirt. Bouncing back from defeat in the Champagne Stakes, the colt passed the post six lengths in front of his nearest pursuer. 

Repole Stable's homebred is the third foal out of the Stay Thirsty mare Nonna Bella, a half-sister to Grade 1 scorer Outwork and a daughter of the Grade 1-placed Empire Maker mare Nonna Mia.

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