Justify My Love rides rail to take Indiana Turf Distaff
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Justify My Love snuck up the rail under Joe Ramos and beat Lovely Princess by a half-length in the $100,000 Indiana General Assembly Distaff Stakes.
In the other turf stakes on the Indiana Derby undercard, Me and Mr. C won the tightest of photos with pacesetting Underdressed in the $102,975 Jonathan Schuster Memorial.
Justify My Love, trained by Paulo Lobo for her breeder, Stud Rio Dios Irmaos, and Bonne Chance Farm, was a Grade 2 winner in Argentina but won her first stakes since coming to North America for her 2022 campaign. Ramos played a central role.
Racing mid-pack after breaking from the inside post, Justify My Love saved ground on both turns and moved into contending position around the second bend, but came into the homestretch with horses stacked several paths outside her and a tiring pacesetter in front of her. When the leader, French Cuffs, drifted off the rail, Ramos steered left, Justify My Love coming through an opening with a clear run to the finish. Lovely Princess took the overland route and finished well but was outrun to the line, while Henrietta Topham evenly for third. The 2-1 favorite Juncture got into traffic trouble and dead-heated for fifth. Princess Theorem was a key scratch in this female-restricted contest.
Winning time for the 1 1/6 miles over “good” ground was 1:43.91, and Justify My Love paid a generous $26. Bred in Argentina, the mare is by Agnes Gold out of Zafira, by Redattore.
Me and Mr. C had been running solid but entirely unspectacular races in Florida and was cleverly spotted in the Schuster by trainer Mike Maker. Stalking mid-pack through a slow half-mile in 49.73, Me and Mr. C was fourth at the stretch call but lunged late to get his nose across the line just in front of Underdressed. Underdressed, exiting starter-allowance races, pressed his pace advantage and took a 1 1/2-length lead to the furlong grounds, nearly stealing the race before settling for second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of 2-1 favorite Verstappen.
Gerardo Corrales rode Me and Mr. C for Maker and owners Paradise Farm and David Staudacher. Bred in Florida by Stonehedge Farm, 6-year-old Me and Mr. C is by Khozan out of Abiding, by Dynaformer.
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