'Whatever jurisdiction his offspring land in, they go to the top' - Justify the talk of the town at Keeneland

When Justify's first crop of yearlings was offered at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, there was excitement befitting an American Triple Crown winner. 

The Justify buzz has grown to a roar in 2024 with champions on both sides of the Atlantic and impressive winners pouring in around the world, highlighted by Derby winner City Of Troy, who followed his Epsom win with victories in the Coral-Eclipse and Juddmonte International.

"In our travels promoting the sale and listening to feedback, I think everybody is fascinated by how good this stallion is," said Tony Lacy, Keeneland's vice president of sales. "He has been a revelation.

"Mr Magnier's belief in acquiring Justify is paying off now tenfold. He is probably one of the most exciting stallions we've seen in recent memory, especially from a global standpoint. There is no corner of the world that is not paying attention to Justify's influence and potential impact on the breed."

There are 60 Justify yearlings in the September sale catalogue this year, meaning just more than half of his 118 reported live foals of 2022 are in the sale. As expected they are concentrated in the early books with Book 1 (21) and Book 2 (31) combining for 52. There are another seven Justify yearlings assigned to Book 3 and one to Book 4. The Justify yearlings in this year's sale were bred on a $100,000 stud fee. His fee changed to private in 2024.

Lacy said: "I know with a lot of Europeans especially, there was the one question they all asked, 'How many Justify yearlings do you have in the sale?' He is not the only stallion they ask about, but he is probably at the top of the list for the international market this year.

Tony Lacy: "They're going to be tougher to buy going forward"Credit: Keeneland photo

"They're going to be tougher to buy going forward. They're going to be sought after by high-end breeders and in the future some of them may not come to market."

The market for Justify was good in 2023. His yearlings bred on a $125,000 stud fee in 2021 averaged $274,889 at Keeneland September last year. But they were buyable, and European pinhookers who took the leap of faith on an American Triple Crown winner by a stallion that Europe respected in Scat Daddy, were able to snap up individuals not deemed home runs by American dirt horse standards for what turned out to be bargain prices.

Irish pinhooker Norman Williamson landed a Justify colt out of the High Chaparral mare Inchargeofme from the Nursery Place consignment for $150,000. The colt resold at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale in May for a record €2.3 million.

Back in May Williamson told the Racing Post about the colt's appeal at the yearling stage.

"I think he looked like a European turf horse," he said. "The Justifys in America are big, strong horses . . . That's what the Americans like, but I thought this fella would suit Europe."

Now that the market has seen what Justify is producing on the track, will bargains like that be available again?

City Of Troy: brilliant performer has made people sit up and take notice of Justify around the worldCredit: Edward Whitaker

Taylor Made Sales Agency has 11 Justify yearlings catalogued at September this year. Taylor Made president and CEO Mark Taylor thinks how people view the Justify yearlings has been transformed by his racetrack success.

Taylor said: "The physicals he was putting on the ground, by and large, people really liked them, but they didn't know what to expect. He's a Scat Daddy out of a Ghostzapper mare. Most of them are big strong horses, and a lot of them look like dirt horses, but obviously he is getting grass horses too.

"When his first crop came out, there were high hopes and everybody recognised he was a phenomenal racehorse. But it's a whole new game now.

"He's got a horse in City Of Troy that Aidan O'Brien is touting as one of the best horses he's ever put a bridle on. You've got serious horses in Japan, and whatever jurisdiction his offspring land in, they go to the top. He's doing it on dirt and turf or whatever you want to run on. When you buy a Triple Crown winner to stand at your farm, this is what you are hoping is going to be delivered, and he's doing it in spades."

Taylor said he inspected about three dozen Justify yearlings this year. He said the most consistent trait was how good of movers Justify is producing.

He said: "The foals I've seen just keep getting better looking. Part of that could be perception because the results on the track are so good,. 

"They're all strong horses with a lot of substance to them. In general they have very good movement. I don't see very many weak, weedy Justifys. They seem to be forward horses from the moment they're born. They've got strength, but they're not overly heavy. They're what you want on the end of the shank."

Conrad Bandoroff: "There is going to be tremendous competition from domestic and European buyers this year"Credit: Keeneland photo

Denali Stud consigned the Justify filly Buchu at the 2022 September sale. The Rigney Racing homebred RNA'd for $275,000 and joined her breeder's racing stable, winning the 2023 Jessamine Stakes and the 2024 Appalachian Stakes, both at Keeneland. Denali has three Justify yearlings in this year's sale.

"I think Justify's first year there was a great buzz about him," said Denali's vice-president Conrad Bandoroff. "When Buchu was selling, it was his second crop, and I think there was a little bit of a wait-and-see approach as the market can tend to do when a horse is getting his first two-year-olds to the track. At that point, the market wants to see how they perform and if they will live up to the hype.

"There is going to be tremendous competition from domestic and European buyers this year. Justify has always had good support internationally, particularly from Japan, but if you have a nice Justify this year, that horse has a passport to attract the highest-end buyers the world over."

Bandoroff said hip 699, a Justify colt out of the A. P. Indy mare Apt, should draw considerable interest in Book 2. Apt is a half to 2010 champion older horse and successful sire Blame, and her smooth-walking April 30 foal is half to four black-type horses.

Bandoroff said: "It's a prolific family, and this is a colt that we think highly of. He has great athleticism and balance to him. And there couldn't be a hotter stallion right now."

For all the latest bloodstock and racing news from North America, visit Bloodhorse