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The stud future of champion US colt Justify has been resolved between his owners and Coolmore America.
The son of the late Scat Daddy will stand at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky with a fee to be set at a later date.
“After much deliberation with all the partners, we’ve decided to accept Coolmore’s offer to stand Justify,” said Elliott Walden, president and racing manager of WinStar Farm.
“As you can imagine, this is a bittersweet moment for all of us connected to this special horse who gave us the ultimate thrill of a lifetime.“We believe strongly in Justify as a stallion and the ownership group has retained breeding rights. We look forward to supporting him at Ashford Stud.”
Justify raced for a syndicate that included WinStar Farm, China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners LLC and Starlight Racing.The Bob Baffert-trained 3YO was retired in July with a perfect six-for-six record and earnings of $3,798,000 after he became the first unblemished Triple Crown winner since Seattle Slew in 1977.
Coolmore also stands the 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, also trained by Baffert.
“We look forward to standing our second Triple Crown winner at Ashford Stud,” said Coolmore’s MV Magnier.“It’s an amazing achievement for Bob Baffert and his team to have developed the career of two Triple Crown winners in just four years.
“Let’s hope Justify he proves as good as his sire Scat Daddy..Justify was unraced at two and debuted in February with successive wins at Santa Anita in California.
At his third start he won the G1 Santa Anita Derby in April before an emphatic 2.5 lengths in the G1 Kentucky Derby, becoming the first horse since 1882 to win that great classic without starting as a 2YO.He then added the GI Preakness Stakes and closed out his career by becoming the 13th Triple Crown winner with a comfortable win in the GI Belmont Stakes on June 9.
Justify’s dam Stage Magic is also responsible for a 2YO filly by Pioneerof the Nile named Egyptian Storm, who was purchased for $230,000 at last year’s Keeneland September sale, and a yearling colt by Will Take Charge who was passed in at $1.75 million at the same sale this past week.She produced a colt by Pioneerof the Nile in April before being bred to Quality Road.
