Hard to Justify Starts Her Season in Edgewood

While the Kentucky Oaks (G1) will steal the Churchill Downs headlines May 3, the race directly before it will be just as thrilling as a Breeders' Cup winner faces 13 3-year-old fillies in the 1 1/16-mile $600,000 Edgewood Stakes (G2T).

Wise Racing's Hard to Justify  capped her undefeated 2-year-old season with a half-length victory in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Santa Anita Park Nov. 3. Following her victory in the end-of-year championships, the daughter of Justify   took the winter off and has been aimed specifically at this race since returning to the worktab March 1.

"I am really pleased with how she's coming into the race," said trainer Chad Brown. "The timing works really well. I didn't want to get her started too early in the season because I have some lofty goals for her this summer."

Although Hard to Justify may be aimed at bigger targets down the road, Brown will have her ready for this spot as he has yet to add a win in the Edgewood to his résumé. Two of his previous Breeders' Cup winners, Rushing Fall  and Newspaperofrecord , both finished second in this race.

Brown will also send out Klaravich Stables' Dynamic Pricing , a filly he has been high on since her 2-year-old season.

"She's a horse that I always had my eye on to be a competitor in this 3-year-old turf division since she was a baby last year," Brown said.

Despite Brown's expectations, the daughter of Night of Thunder  failed to fire March 9 at Tampa Bay Downs in the Florida Oaks (G3T), beaten 3 3/4 lengths in seventh.

"I am still perplexed why she didn't fire at Tampa," Brown said. "I guess she didn't care for the turf course. ... She's trained pretty well, we'll give her a do-over here."

Among those standing in the way of Brown's first victory in the Edgewood is Rigney Racing's Buchu . Defeated 2 3/4 lengths by Hard to Justify in the Breeders' Cup, Buchu returned April 6 at Keeneland and launched a strong rally to win the Appalachian Stakes (G2T) by a half-length.

Buchu is the only filly in the field with a victory over the course, which she accomplished in a Sept. 23 maiden race at the same 1 1/16-mile distance. The only other filly with experience on the track is Woo Pig Stables' Mo Fox Givin , who finished second in a Sept. 29 allowance.

Mo Fox Givin was last seen attempting to run down Buchu in the Appalachian before ultimately settling for second. The Edgewood will be her first time running 1 1/16 miles since her debut, a maiden victory at Colonial Downs Aug. 12.

Also in the Field

• Scalable  makes her first start on turf for trainer Todd Pletcher and adds Frankie Dettori to the saddle.
• Pink Polkadots  returns to the turf, which she's 2-for-2 over, after an unsuccessful attempt on Turfway Park's all-weather surface March 23 in the Bourbonette Oaks.
• Grade 3 winner Pounce  looks to bounce back after being beat 11 1/4 lengths in the Appalachian as the favorite.

The Edgewood is race 10 with a post time of 4:51 p.m. ET.