Churchill Downs Friday and possible omens for City Of Troy

Ian_Davies

Ian_Davies

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On Friday there are seven pattern races at Churchill Downs, two of them Grade 1s, including the 1m1f Kentucky Oaks.

Two of the many runners of interest to me are Hard To Justify and Just F Y I - both 3yo daughters of Justify.

A win for either - or both - would put the kybosh on my fledgling theory that the progeny of Justify cannot routinely be relied upon to train on from two to three.

With the word stemming from Ballydoyle that City Of Troy is not only working well but is positively flying the excitement is surely heading for fever pitch.

Try My Best, Tromos, Air Force Blue, Arazi, Xaar, Pinatubo.

El Gran Senor, George Washington, Zafonic, Camelot, Dawn Approach, Frankel.

I wonder which group City Of Troy will be joining come Saturday evening?
 
You're right, Luke - tbh I just googled a list of Champion 2yos and chose the ones I thought flopped at three and those who replicated their juvenile dominance.

One Cool Cat slipped through the net.
 
My racing buddy Paddy had occasion to meet John Magnier the day One Cool Cat won a Curragh Sprint as a 3yo.
For something to say, Paddy mentioned the sprinting prospect One Cool Cat would be for the following year, an exciting future for John as an owner.
" That is not our plan " Mr Magnier replied, shaking his head.
 
Pat Gallagher bought a 25% share in Try My Best in the spring of 1978, chartering a plane to take 80 Business associates and property journalists to the 2000 Gns at Newmarket.
After the race while MVOB tried to explain to the press what went wrong Pat took Vincent by the arm and said " Come on Vincent, it's brandy time "according to Raymond (Congo) Smith.
The flight home was a very quiet one that nobody spoke about until well after Mr Gallagher's death; what happens in Newmarket stays in Newmarket .
 
Hard To Justify, a Justify, tries to win a big 3yo race shortly with Just F Y I (same sire) in the Kentucky Oaks to follow - omens for City Of Troy and Ramatuelle.
 
I had a half decent place lay Ian -the soft turf definitely didn't help her.Second fav was also by Justify and was sighted.
 
You're welcome.

Just F Y I didn't win, but ran well in the Kentucky Oaks, but the following stat I just saw shows I'm not alone in thinking the Jury is still out on this one....
 

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Good luck, Luke.

It's a small sample size, Justify hasn't had many crops race so far, but when horses are very short I think it's legitimate to put their credentials under the microscope in the eternal quest for value.

For every Frankel, there's a Try My Best, for every Zafonic, there's a Xaar, for every El Gran Senor there's a One Cool Cat and for every George Washington there's an Air Force Blue.
 
Just A Touch and Just Steel represent Justify in the Kentucky Derby shortly.

I've been a Fierceness fan ever since he won at the Breeders' Cup, was mortified when he got beat at 1/5 in February, but was wowed by his sensational Florida Derby win, though he did get a soft lead.

I consider Sierra Leone the most plausible danger, with Japanese Forever Young fascinating.

But tbf the two Justify colts seem to have trained on alright so far and should acquit themselves well.

"The Run For The Roses" - can't wait.
 
Cracking finish, but how Sierra Leone hasn't won that I will never know.

He's come from the next State and come widest to be beaten a whisker and I just can't have the winner being the better horse.

Forever Young in third unlucky too.

As feared, Fierceness was never getting a soft lead in this and probably went too quick in the van for his own good and maybe didn't get home - Preakness might suit him better.

Sierra Leone must have a cracking chance in the Belmont.

The Justifys made no impact - where have we heard that before?
 
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