Just F Y I Delivers Another Grade 1 Win for Connections

On a miserable day weather-wise at the Belmont at the Big A meeting Oct. 7 there wasn't a cloud in the sky in the eyes of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, owner George Krikorian, and jockey Junior Alvarado, who teamed to win back-to-back grade 1s and Win and You're In events as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series with War Like Goddess  in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1T) and Just F Y I  in the Frizette Stakes (G1). 

Krikorian also bred the 3 3/4-length Frizette winner, who earned a fees-paid berth to the Nov. 3 $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita Park. The 2-year-old daughter of Justify   was making just her second career start after winning on debut a six-furlong maiden special weight Aug. 26 at Saratoga Race Course by a head under Alvarado. Making the jump to one mile in the $400,000 Frizette, Just F Y I raced off of the pace in the six-horse field before swooping to the lead in the stretch on the sloppy and sealed racing surface. She completed the distance in 1:37.59, and returned $11.60 for a $2 win wager. 

Central Avenue  was second and was followed under the wire by Life Talk  in third. Completing the order of finish were even-money favorite Emery , followed under the wire by Irish Maxima  and Princess Indy . 

QUOTABLE

For Krikorian, War Like Goddess and Just F Y I's victories represented something new for the owner.

"This is very exciting, I've never had a single day where I've had two grade 1 winners before," Krikorian said. "That's pretty special, for sure. And Just F Y I is a horse I bred, so that makes it extra special."

Krikorian said he felt confident that Just F Y I would handle the stretch out in distance in the Frizette because her second dam, Starrer , a daughter of Dynaformer who he campaigned and bought for $35,000 as a Fasig-Tipton yearling, was a dual grade 1 winner over a mile. 

"Going a longer distance, we were hopeful that distance was going to be helpful to her, which it turned out to be," Krikorian said.  "With the bad weather and everything, you never know how the horses are going to do. She handled it all well and she handles everything well."

Mott, who was winning his second Frizette after saddling the 1998 winner, Confessional, admitted the sloppy surface was a question mark for the bay Kentucky-bred.

"You don't know until you run them," he said. "We thought she was a nice filly and, in this day and age, I guess if you break your maiden impressively you're looking at going to a stakes race because there aren't many allowance races."

The trainer acknowledged that winning back-to-back grade 1s on the card for Krikorian was meaningful to him.

"It's very special. [Mr. Krikorian] has been a very good client and he sends me some horses that he thinks are going to be OK," Mott said. "I have a small group of horses for him, but they are all quite nice."

Alvarado said Just F Y I gave him a good feeling as the one-turn race unfolded while she raced in third position down the backstretch.

"I was very happy with what I had under me the whole way around. I was just hoping by the time I let her go, she wasn't going to fool me," the rider commented. "Right when I asked her, she started picking it up. She had that beautiful long stride. Right when she switched leads, I knew she would be okay turning for home. She finished up nice and strong."

BREEDING

Just F Y I's sire, Justify, a son of Scat Daddy, stood the 2023 season at Coolmore's Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky. for $100,000. The 2018 Triple Crown winner also shuttled to Coolmore's Australia division in 2022-23.

With his first crop of runners in 2022, Justify ranked third in North America, and currently holds that position with his second crop.

Justify's other grade/group 1 winners this year include Opera Singer , Arabian Lion  , and Aspen Grove .

The Frizette winner's dam, Star Act , was bred and owned by Krikorian. A daughter of Street Cry (IRE), she was a winner of two starts and was stakes-placed. Just F Y I is her first stakes winner from three foals to race. This year, Star Act was bred to Life Is Good   after foaling a full sister to Just F Y I.