When Team Coolmore conducted its inspections in advance of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, a Justify colt from the family of grade 1 winner Rushing Fall caught their eye.
Continuing their support of the 2018 Triple Crown winner who stands at their Ashford Stud, the global powerhouse went to $1.1 million to secure that colt Sept. 13 during the sale's second session.
Coolmore's M.V. Magnier signed the ticket on the youngster, who was consigned as Hip 339 by Denali Stud, agent for WinStar Farm Bred & Raised.
"(Trainer) Aidan (O'Brien) came over and (Coolmore adviser) Paul Shanahan (and Ashford Stud manager) Dermot (Ryan), everybody really liked this horse," Magnier said. "He comes from a really good family. At the rate Justify's going at the moment, a lot of people are saying what he's actually doing at the moment is incredible. To be going as well as he is as early as he is, everybody seems to be pretty surprised by it. We're very excited about him and it's exciting times."
The colt is out of black-type winner Milam, a daughter of Street Sense who was second in the 2014 Eight Belles Stakes (G3) and is a half sister to multiple grade 1 winner and 2020 champion turf female Rushing Fall.
Milam also has a Curlin 3-year-old named Lakota Spirit who broke her maiden for Peter Brant and Chad Brown in May going a mile on the Belmont Park lawn.
"He's a very well-bred horse," Magnier said of their purchase. "WinStar are very, very good breeders and Conrad (Bandoroff of Denali) said the horse was very popular the whole way through. If you breed a horse like that, I suppose you deserve to get paid for him."
"(WinStar) gave us some very nice horses to sell," Bandoroff added. "They breed a very good horse. This was a very popular horse. Justify is off to a gangbuster start. He's going to have every chance in going to a top program. (Hip 339) has class. He carried himself back here like a real professional. He never took a wrong step. (He's) very intelligent with a lot of class."
Justify's first foals are 2-year-olds of 2022 and include Airlie Stud Stakes (G2) winner Statuette and Newtownanner Stud Irish EBF Stakes (G3) winner Aspen Grove in Ireland and Schuylerville Stakes (G3) winner Just Cindy in the United States. He has been represented by two seven-figure yearlings at the Keeneland September Sale thus far, with 13 sold across the first two days for an average of $563,462 and gross receipts of $7,325,000.
"The ones we have are all sound, tough, they've plenty of speed and they look like they'll stay as well," Magnier said of the Scat Daddy stallion's progeny.
The colt's trainer is yet to be determined, according to Magnier.
"We'll bring him back to Ashford and make a plan," he said.
