Justify fast out of the gate in Keeneland September yearling sale

Triple Crown winner Justify has been a gift that keeps on giving for Glennwood Farm, which bred and raised the champion and is now showcasing some of his first offspring.

“We’re very happy with all the Justify foals,” said Glennwood owner John Gunther, who runs the operation with his daughter Tanya. “We sent a good number of mares back to him this spring. We’re excited about it.”

Glennwood consigned Justify, by Scat Daddy and out of the farm’s homebred Stage Magic, to the Keeneland September yearling sale five years ago. He was purchased for $500,000 by WinStar Farm-affiliated Maverick Racing and China Horse Club, and was campaigned by those outfits and partners to six wins in as many starts, including the 2018 Triple Crown series. Now standing at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky, Justify made a solid start with his first crop of yearlings at the Keeneland September yearling sale. He was represented by 61 yearlings sold for a gross of $22,431,000, placing him second in gross among all stallions to two-time leading sire Into Mischief. Justify’s average sale price was $367,721, more than twice his introductory stud fee of $150,000, and placing him fifth among sires with three or more sold.

Talla Racing and West Point Thoroughbreds partnered to buy Justify’s most expensive offering of the sale, a $1.55 million colt from the consignment of breeder Stonehaven Steadings. Glennwood sold a pair of Justify yearlings bred at the farm. A filly fetched $725,000 from bloodstock agent David Ingordo, representing Mayberry Farm. Glennwood also sold a Justify colt for $675,000 as Maverick Racing went back to the well.

“They have such even temperaments,” Gunther said of Justify’s foals. “They’re easy to handle. They’re amazingly even-tempered. Justify was a really laid-back foal. He knew he was the king in the field, he was the boss, but he was still very laid-back, and I see a lot of that same thing with his foals.”