He may not be a Knicks Go or Flightline on the tip of everyone's tongue, but the chrome-splashed Just Might, coasting under the racing radar, has accomplished what no other horse has done in 2021: he's won seven stakes races. Owned in partnership with trainer Michelle Lovell and Griffon Farms, the gelding with the heart of Texas capped his 5-year-old season with a front-running victory in the Dec. 26 Richard R. Scherer Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Although Just Might bypassed the Breeders' Cup this year, his connections are eyeing a potential spot in the Championships' starting gate at Keeneland in 2022. However, whether the son of Justin Phillip makes it to the Breeders' Cup or not next fall, he has been truly "a blessing" to his owners and his accolades are nothing short of spectacular in a time where top racehorses are making less and less starts with each coming year.
Just Might's co-breeder, co-owner, and trainer, Michelle Lovell, speaks with BloodHorse MarketWatch about her partnership with 87-year-old Texan Dr. Robert "Pappy" Griffon, what factors have led to Just Might's improvement on the track, and Just Might's campaign plans as a 6-year-old in 2022.
MarketWatch: How did you initially become acquainted with your partner, Dr. Robert Griffon?
Michelle Lovell: Dr. Griffon had horses he raised at his farm in Friendswood, Texas. It was a small 10-acre farm in a subdivision. I was training in Texas at the time and he called me up and asked if I would be interested in training a couple of horses that he had that were in training, and I told him I would. I broke his babies for him. The mare of Just Might, Dynamite Babe, was one of those babies that we broke. And we campaigned her and when we retired her that's when he became my partner. Before that, I trained for him and he was just my client. Dynamite Babe was from one of his last crops of Texas-bred babies that he raised at the farm.
MW: How was Dynamite Babe as a racehorse?
ML: She was very, very special. I was racing primarily in Texas at the time with 40 head of horses but when I made a move to Fair Grounds they gave me 12 stalls. Those were the only horses they wanted from Texas to come race at Fair Grounds. But Dynamite Babe was one of the ones that I brought with me. She was my first winner there. We actually lost her in a claiming race but as soon as they ran her back we claimed her back. I think we ran her a couple more times and I told Pappy that we should retire her and make her a broodmare. He was out of the breeding business by then and had sold off his mares. He said: "Oh, I don't think so. I don't think I need to buy any green bananas." He was getting older. But we bred her and got four babies out of her. Just Might was the third one.
MW: Are Just Might and Dynamite Babe the only two horses you and Dr. Griffon are partners on?
ML: We were partners on Dynamite Babe as a broodmare. We have her fourth baby; she's a 4-year-old filly (Dynamite Gift). When she was born her mother unfortunately died. It was a really, really sad day. I had to call Pappy at 10:00 that night and tell him: "Well, I guess we're out of the breeding business, and he just said, "Oh, this is terrible" but then we found out that she had delivered a filly. Then I told Pappy: "Ok, we're back in the breeding business." We would like to break this filly's maiden and win some races with her and then make her a broodmare. We have a few other horses we own in partnerships that we've claimed, and he also owns half of a 2-year-old that I raised.
MW: What does it mean to have a horse like Just Might in your barn?
ML: He's a gift. He's big, massive powerhouse of a horse. He's easy to be around, he's very kind. He's not one you can go and love on although I try to. He loves his job and he's gotten really good at it. He pays a lot more attention in the gate now. He used to wallow around back there at the break and now he's got it. He's very sound. A horse like him makes it fun to go to work in the morning. He's a blessing for sure.
Dr. Griffon and his whole family are behind him. He's made a bunch of trips this year to see Just Might run. He came to Virginia a few times, Kentucky a couple times, Fair Grounds a few times. Thanksgiving day was his 87th birthday and I hated that I had to miss that race (Thanksgiving Classic Stakes) but I was at Aqueduct Racetrack with Change of Control. I told him: "I'll see you the day after Christmas and we'll try to win another one." And of course, I was sick so I wasn't there that day (Richard R. Scherer). It was a great Christmas present to win but not being able to be there to celebrate with him was a bummer. But we'll have more races.
MW: Just Might has enjoyed a truly remarkable 2021 campaign. What factors do you think has led to his turn in form?
ML: He was always very big and strong. When I had him started under tack as baby, I thought he would be precocious. He was strong and had great bone to him so I thought I could get some races in him as a 2-year-old but he didn't want anything to do with that. He just wanted to buck and pull riders over his head. He was so playful. He didn't know his own strength. It took him awhile to just pay attention and apply himself on the track. He's just matured. I didn't want to geld him for a long time because he wasn't studdish or a biter but eventually I gave in and cut him and it did make him a better racehorse.
He's a blue-collar horse and we just try to do the right thing by him. To win seven stakes races, that's hard to do. I have 18 horses in my barn, so to have a horse like him and Change of Control is so surreal for a small stable like mine.
MW: What are the plans for Just Might going into 2022? Will he get some time off or is there a stakes race on the agenda?
ML: I don't like drilling him; it's better for me and him to just train and breeze him easy and let him race, and he'll run his eyeballs out. I couldn't imagine trying to run this horse every three-to-four months. Everyone always asks me, "Oh, when are you going to give him a vacation," but I don't know what I would do with him and he wouldn't know what to do with himself. He would probably kill himself out in the paddock.
We have two more stakes here coming up at Fair Grounds on the turf. It's easier for Dr. Griffon to come see him coming in from Sam Houston here as well versus if he ships up to Oaklawn. Then when we get to Kentucky we'll figure it out. He's doing super now so I can't imagine we'll miss much.
MW: I know you bypassed the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar this year, but would you ideally want to take another shot in 2022?
ML: The end goal would be the Breeders' Cup since it'll be at home again. We tried it last year on the turf at Keeneland. But he totally missed the break and ran flat. It was pretty dismal to watch but you just can't make any mistakes in those types of races. It would be nice to try to get there but nothing is written in stone. We'll probably campaign him much the same depending on him, maybe try him in more dirt races. It would be great to win a graded stakes with him but really he has nothing to prove to us. He's a really special animal. If he can win some races that qualify him to the Breeders' Cup we'll go, but if not, we'll be happy either way.
These kind of horses—we need them. He's from a $5,000 stud fee out of a Texas-bred mare. We didn't do a lot of studying to nick them. You just never know. Horses like him can give people hope that you don't need a lot of money to have a good horse. As long as he stays healthy, I think he has another few good years of racing in him.
