Just F Y I (foaled April 13, 2021) is a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse. The two-year-old filly won the Grade I Frizette Stakes and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita Park and was named the 2023 Champion Two-Year-Old Filly.
| Just F Y I | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Sire | Justify |
| Grandsire | Scat Daddy |
| Dam | Star Act |
| Damsire | Street Cry |
| Sex | filly |
| Foaled | April 13, 2021[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Color | Bay |
| Breeder | George Krikorian |
| Owner | George Krikorian |
| Trainer | William I. Mott |
| Record | 4: 3 - 1 - 0 |
| Earnings | $1,433,250[2] |
| Major wins | |
| Frizette Stakes (2023) Breeders' Cup wins: Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (2023) | |
| Awards | |
| American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly (2023) | |
| Last updated on April 6, 2024 | |
Background edit
Just F Y I is a bay filly who was bred and owned by cinema mogul George Krikorian.[2] She was bred in Kentucky. Just F Y I is out of stakes-placed dam and also bred and owned by Krikorian, Star Act, by Street Cry, who has produced three winners from three starters. Star Act is a daughter of Starrer, a two-time Grade 1 (Santa Maria Handicap and Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap) winner for George Krikorian.[3] Her sire is the 2018 American Triple Crown winner, Justify. She is from Justify's second crop and was his first Breeders' Cup winner.[3] Justify will stand the 2024 season for US$200,000 at Ashford Stud near Versailles, Kentucky.[3]
Just F Y I is trained by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame trainer William I. Mott.[2]
Racing career edit
2023: two-year-old season edit
Just F Y I debuted on August 26 in a maiden special weight event for fillies at Saratoga. From post nine in a field of ten, she was five wide down the backstretch, then tucked three wide through the turn. She swung three to four wide into upper stretch, dug in under a drive, and wore down the leader, Shop Lifting, to win by a head in a time 1:11.06.[4]
Connections next placed Just F Y I in the Grade I Frizette Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack. On October 7, in a small field of six, she started as third favorite at odds of nearly 5/1. In the one-mile event with a purse of US$400,000, she raced off of the pace before swooping to the lead in the stretch on the sloppy and sealed racing surface, winning by 3+3⁄4 lengths in a time of 1:37.59. "This is very exciting, I've never had a single day where I've had two grade 1 winners before," owner Krikorian said. "That's pretty special, for sure. And Just F Y I is a horse I bred, so that makes it extra special."[5] The victory earned her a fees-paid berth to the November 3 $2 million Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Santa Anita Park.[5]
For the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, Just F Y I drew post 12 under jockey Junior Alvarado, and stayed close while pressing the 4/5 odds-on favorite Tamara, the early leader, through a half-mile in :46.60 before turning up the pressure through six furlongs in 1:10.95.[3] Just F Y I took command inside the three-sixteenths pole as Tamara faded. After opening a clear advantage, she held off Matron Stakes winner Jody's Pride, by a neck with GI Alcibiades Stakes winner Candied a half-length away in third. The winning time was 1:44.58.[3]
A couple days after the event, trainer Bill Mott indicated that the next destination for Just F Y I likely would be the Payson Park Thoroughbred Training Center in Florida, where she would get time off before kicking off her 3-year-old campaign in 2024.[6]
The filly was awarded an Eclipse Award as the Champion Two-Year-Old Filly for 2023.[7]
2024: three-year-old season edit
Just F Y I started her three-year-old with a second in the Grade I Ashland Stakes at Keeneland beaten by 3 lengths to Leslie's Rose.[8]
Statistics edit
| Date | Distance | Race | Grade | Track | Odds | Field | Finish | Winning Time |
Winning (Losing) Margin |
Jockey | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 – two-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Aug 26, 2023 | 6 furlongs | Maiden Special Weight | Saratoga | 3.75 | 10 | 1 | 1:11.06 | head | Junior Alvarado | [4] | |
| Oct 7, 2023 | 1 mile | Frizette Stakes | I | Aqueduct | 4.80 | 6 | 1 | 1:37.59 | 3+3⁄4 lengths | Junior Alvarado | [9] |
| Nov 3, 2023 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies | I | Santa Anita | 7.00 | 12 | 1 | 1:44.58 | neck | Junior Alvarado | [10] |
| 2024 – three-year-old season | |||||||||||
| Apr 5, 2024 | 1+1⁄16 miles | Ashland Stakes | I | Keeneland | 4.63 | 8 | 2 | 1:43:85 | (3 lengths) | Junior Alvarado | [8] |
Notes:
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Just F Y I was the post-time favorite.
Pedigree edit
| Sire Justify (2015) |
Scat Daddy (2004) |
Johannesburg (1999) |
Hennessy (1993) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myth (1993) | |||
| Love Style (1999) |
Mr. Prospector (1970) | ||
| Likeable Style (1990) | |||
| Stage Magic (2007) |
Ghostzapper (2000) |
Awesome Again (1994) | |
| Baby Zip (1991) | |||
| Magical Illusion (2001) |
Pulpit (1994) | ||
| Voodoo Lily (1987) | |||
| Dam Star Act (2011) |
Street Cry (1998) |
Machiavellian (1987) |
Mr. Prospector (1970) |
| Coup De Folie (1982) | |||
| Helen Street (GB) (1982) |
Troy (GB) (1976) | ||
| Waterway (FR) (1976) | |||
| Starrer (1998) |
Dynaformer (1985) |
Roberto (1969) | |
| Andover Way (1978) | |||
| To The Hunt (1985) |
Relaunch (1976) | ||
| Royal Advocator (1981) (family: 4-r)[12] |
References edit
- ^ "Pedigree of Just F Y I". Equineline. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Profile of Just F Y I". Equibase. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Angst, Frank (November 3, 2023). "Krikorian's Just F Y I Prevails in Juvenile Fillies Daughter of Justify bests 3-5 favorite Tamara, daughter of Beholder". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
- ^ a b "Chart of Maiden Special Weight at Saratoga August 26, 2023 (race 6)". equibase.com. August 26, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ a b Johnson, Karen M. (October 7, 2023). "Just F Y I Delivers Another Grade 1 Win for Connections; Just F Y I rallies in the turn on way to clear victory in Frizette Stakes (G1)". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
- ^ "BC Winners Fierceness, Just F Y I to Winter in Florida; Trainer Bill Mott said Just F Y I likely will head to Payson Park in South Florida". Bloodhorse.com. Unedited Press Release. Retrieved November 9, 2023.
- ^ Mitchell, Eric (January 30, 2024). "Champion 2YO Filly Title For Undefeated Just F Y I; Just F Y I is champion juvenile filly following undefeated season, two grade 1 wins". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ a b "Central Bank Ashland Stakes Grade 1 – (Race 9)". Equibase. April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ "Frizette Stakes Grade 1 – (Race 5)". Equibase. October 7, 2023. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ "NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Grade 1 – (Race 6)". Equibase. November 3, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
- ^ "Just F Y I's Pedigree". Equineline. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "Thoroughbred Bloodlines – CUB Mare (GB) – Family 4-r". www.bloodlines.net. Retrieved November 3, 2023.