Hard to Justify Surges to Win BC Juvenile Fillies Turf

Hard to Justify , despite starting from the 12-post, held off a pair of late challengers to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) Nov. 3 at Santa Anita Park. 

Trained by Chad Brown, the daughter of Justify stalked the lead in the mile test from the two path for most of the race before holding off dual challengers midstretch to stop the clock in 1:34.42 for a half-length win.

It was reminiscent of the strategy from her last time out in the Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T), when jockey Flavien Prat, who was in the irons again Friday, kept the 2-year-old within striking distance before pulling away down the stretch, however from a much closer starting post.

Hard to Justify wins the $1 Million #BreedersCup Juvenile Fillies Turf on #FutureStarsFriday at @santaanitapark! Cheers to all of the connections! pic.twitter.com/f91gXEyJQz

— Breeders' Cup (@BreedersCup) November 3, 2023

"When we drew wide, it was very disappointing," said Brown. "I looked at the race form and spoke to Flavien and just said that I think she's one of the only three fillies, barring some European form that I can't see, from the American horses who is good enough to win. I don't mind using some fuel early to clear and she did that and hit a :47 and change half. 

"There was mild concern at the three-eighths marker when they started to stack up outside of her. I thought maybe that post would do her in, but I knew she had some fight in her. It's just a matter of when he wanted to use that last bit of energy that she would have. Sure enough, she had plenty; more than I thought."

At 39-1, longshot Dreamfyre  broke from the post just to the victress's right and quickly moved to the front. The speedy daughter of Flameaway   held that position into the stretch posting fractions of :22.91, :47.65, 1:11.16, and 1:22.88. 

But as the field rounded for home, Hard to Justify moved out to the three path while Austere  came up along the rail side-by-side with Dreamfyre, who faded and overtaken by Porta Fortuna . Meanwhile, charging from outside of Hard to Justify was She Feels Pretty . Sandwiched in between Porta Fortuna and She Feels Pretty, Prat urged his ride who had enough to fend off the challengers. 

"We had a good enough run around throughout and we got a run towards the rail up the stretch, unfortunately we couldn't quite catch the winner," said second-place finisher Porta Fortuna's jockey Oisin Murphy.

She Feels Pretty was edged by a head for third in a photo finish.

"She only lost by a half-length and she was wide the whole race," trainer Cherie DeVaux said. "Have to think that didn't help her, but she ran really well and I'm really proud of that. She had to face some adversity for the first time. She really tried to run that other horse down but it was too much, too late."

Hard to Justify paid $20.20 for the win, which is Brown's record sixth Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf title.

Bred by Yeguada Centurion S.L. in Kentucky, Hard to Justify was purchased by Wise Racing for $190,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale out of the Nicky Drion Thoroughbreds consignment.

The win was not only the first Breeders' Cup triumph for owner Wise Racing, it was also its first grade 1 victory as well.

"When I say that, it's that Chad Brown and Mike Ryan and Niall Brennan were walking together looking last fall for horses at the Keeneland sale. They spotted this horse that wasn't even on their radar at first and said, 'Hey, there's something about her.' Then it went down to Niall in Florida. She just—as Chad said, she just started training and never did anything wrong. It's luck, but it's luck that you get when you work with the best people in the world," said Brian Wise. 

The sire, 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify  , will stand the 2024 season at Ashford Stud for $200,000. He was also represented just one race earlier on the card by Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) winner Just F Y I .

Video: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T)