Justify Colt Gets First Stakes Win in Tokyo City Cup
Third in the Gr.1 Goodwood S. last out in his stakes debut, Privman (3c Justify x Mo Knows, by Uncle Mo) became Justify’s newest stakes winner Saturday with a win in the Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita.
The Bob Baffert trainee went off as the favorite in the one-mile dirt race and entered a duel almost from the start. He backed off Pony Express just a bit down the backstretch but still kept that runner honest until Pony Express tried to pull away with just over a quarter left to run.
Privman let Pony Express get a few lengths on him around the turn and in the stretch, but in the final furlong was done playing games. He struck at that point and flew past late to win by three quarters of a length with the rest of the field over seven lengths behind him.
“This horse has a lot of talent, but he’s still figuring out how to run,” said jockey Juan Hernandez. “On the (second) turn I was like ‘pick it up, pick it up,’ but he didn’t want to. I think this horse is smart. When we reached the top of the stretch and he switched leads, he took off. I had to work, but as soon as he decided to start making his run he put it all together and ran past that horse.”
Privman is owned by a large partnership that includes SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan with his ownership group purchasing him for $625,000 as a yearling. The colt has done well on the track, finishing in the top three in all seven of his starts for $230,278 in earnings.
Bred by Betz, B&K Canetti, J.Betz, D.J. Stables, Graves, and GTL, Privman is out of three-time winning Uncle Mo mare Mo Knows who finished fourth in a Gr.2. The dam of four winners from four to race, Mo Knows is a half-sister to Gr.2 winner and Gr.1 placed Payton d’Oro and stakes placed Maracuya. The family also includes Uncle Mo’s Gr.1 winner Seismic Beauty and Gr.2 winner Passion for Action among many others.
This is the 16th stakes winner of the year for Justify, putting him fourth among all North American stallions with that group including two Gr.1 winners and five Gr.1 performers.