Stellify Wins Fourth Straight in G3 Ladies Marathon
It was a 15th Northern Hemisphere stakes winner on the year for Justify Saturday when daughter Stellify (4f Justify x Savvy Star, by Medaglia d’Oro) won the Grade III Ladies Marathon Invitational Stakes at Kentucky Downs.
Making her second start at the track this meet after winning last Thursday, the Brad Cox trainee was quick out of the gate in the 1 5/16-mile race as the race favorite. It was quickly easy to see why bettors put her in that position when she took over the lead almost immediately.
Kept honest by another runner, she was asked for her best near the quarter pole and responded well. In the stretch, the dark bay pulled away to win by 2 ¾ lengths.
This was the fourth straight victory for Stellify, who races for Elements Racing, George Messina, and Michael Lee. She is now the earner of $1,442,604 in her six starts.
Bred by WinStar Farm, Stellify is out of a winning half-sister to Grade I winner Bluegrass Cat and three other stakes winners with their dam She’s a Winner producing five stakes performers overall. The mare’s daughters have also turned into successful stakes producers with 11 stakes horses under her daughters and granddaughters including Grade II Nonna Mela and five other stakes winners.
The dam of two winners from two to race, Savvy Star is her sixth daughter to throw at least one stakes performer.
Fifteen stakes winners puts Justify in sole position of the Number 3 spot on the General Sires list with his 23 stakes performers tying him in sixth with American Pharoah.