Cover image courtesy of Benoit
With Justify (USA) no longer shuttling to Australia, Inglis Digital USA is offering a chance for local breeders to jump into a mare carrying a Southern Hemisphere cover to him. And she’s not just any mare, she’s April Vintage (USA) (Vino Rosso {USA}), a young stakes-placed American mare – exactly the type of horse who have traditionally done well as broodmares here.
April Venture - a young stakes class mare
April Venture (USA) is a winner of two of her nine starts, one at two and one at three, and was stakes placed in the 2023 Santa Anita Listed Speakeasy S. behind Slider (USA) (Jimmy Creed {USA}) and Dark Vintage (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Dark Vintage ran third to Group 1 winner Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) in his most recent start in Listed company.
“We felt like having raced Justify and breeding a lot of mares to him on Northern Hemisphere time, we felt it would be a great opportunity to try something new (breeding to Southern Hemisphere time),” said vendor WinStar’s Elliot Walden.
“April Vintage comes from a very good family. She was third in Listed company at Santa Anita over a sprint trip and was a good 2-year-old. From our time of having horses in Australia with Newgate, we know how much emphasis is on sprint and 2-year-old racing and she comes from a good female family. Her brother, Arman was a winner at five furlongs and the family goes back to Lu Ravi, a million-dollar earner, and Champion 2-year-old Halfbridled.”
“April Vintage comes from a very good family. She was third in Listed company at Santa Anita over a sprint trip and was a good 2-year-old.” - Elliot Walden
April Vintage’s half-brother Arman (USA) (Bolt d’Oro {USA}) is also stakes placed, and has won, to date, won twice. April Vintage is out an unraced half-sister to Two Thirty Five (USA) (Stay Thirsty {USA}), who won the Listed Harry F Brubaker S. at Del Mar among his sixteen wins, and was also multiple times graded placed.
Her third dam is G3 Churchill Downs Golden Rod S. winner At The Half (USA) (Seeking The Gold {USA}), dam of Grade 2 winner Lu Ravi (USA) (A P Indy {USA}), who won over $1.8million, and is the ancestress of G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner and Champion 2YO filly in USA in 2003 Halfbridled (USA) (Unbridled {USA}) and dual Grade 1 winner Mshawish (USA) (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}).
“We got her in foal on one cover and we know that Inglis is trying to break into this market. They have a tremendous client portfolio in Australia, so we felt like this sale was a good fit.”
Elliot Walden
WinStar raced Justify
WinStar Farm was one of the racing owners of Justify, along with China Horse Club, Head of Plains Partners and Starlight Racing.
“What a special horse. We are grateful to have been in his presence for as long as we were. We sold him to Coolmore as a sire, and that was a difficult decision. They paid a lot of money for him and they deserve everything they’ve got. It’s neat that he’s gone on as a sire. He was such a special racehorse, and you love to see them take that second career. He had tremendous speed and was a big Classic two turn type of horse. Bob Baffert joked that he could’ve won any race at Royal Ascot over any distance, he was just that talented. To see his progeny running on grass too is satisfying. It’s neat to be part of his legacy.
“He's just getting started. He’s only a young horse, it’s amazing to see what he might become.”
Sebastian Hutch on Justify
“Given the performance of (Justify)’s progeny on the track and subsequently in the sale rings, but most importantly on the track, it was a significant blow for Australia that Justify didn’t return. The reasons are totally understandable, and the fact that we had the opportunity to breed to him in the first place was massive. He has a huge amount to offer to the Australian market,” said Inglis CEO Sebastian Hutch.
Justify (USA) | Standing at Coolmore America
“The fact that a mare like this is on the market for anyone to bid on, noting that there will be a limited supply of Justify pregnancies in Australia, is potentially a special opportunity. It’s entirely plausible that this is the only Southern Hemisphere mare due to foal to Justify in 2025, since these type of opportunities are limited by geography.
“Hopefully people see the merit in it and (the sale) generates a good outcome for everyone. She’s a well-credentialled mare too and presented by one of the most reputable breeding operations in the world. Ordinarily (the mare) would appeal alone, and she is enhanced by the rarity.”
“The fact that a mare like this (April Vintage) is on the market for anyone to bid on, noting that there will be a limited supply of Justify pregnancies in Australia, is potentially a special opportunity.” - Sebastian Hutch
With the success that Justify already has, it’s easy to forget that his 37 stakes winners come from only a few crops. His first crop were born in 2020, making them only 4-year-olds.
He has clocked seven Group 1 winners in this short time, and in Australia, his best progeny are the exciting Storm Boy, Group 2 winner and G1 Robert Sangster-placed Learning To Fly, as well as Air Assault, whose six wins include five at black type level.
Gallery: Justify's (USA) leading stakes-winning progeny in Australia
“Had Too Darn Hot and Justify shuttled they would’ve been the most popular stallions this year, but their availability to Southern Hemisphere time is some compensation for Australian breeders,” added Hutch.
Asked whether mares shuttling north would be a trend, Hutch didn’t think so. “It’s very circumstantial. Only when an opportunity presents, and when the demand is strong for the right stallion. These two are progressive young horses. People have had good success doing this with the likes of Siyouni, Frankel and Gun Runner. It comes down to the right stallion under the right circumstances at the right time. Breeding is always a calculated gamble and the cost of using a stallion based in the Northern Hemisphere just amplifies the risk.”
Inglis Digital USA works together with Australia
With the launch of Inglis Digital USA recently, there has been significant cooperation between the Australian and American branches of the Inglis Digital brand.
"We are at our core a North American-based digital auction house but can't ignore the fact that we have a connection to the biggest sales company in Australia. When the opportunity presents itself like this, we are excited to showcase the global nature of the Inglis brand with both hemispheres working together. We sold Lucky Girl to Kia Ora and we are pretty excited to embrace the international market going foward. Digital sales are meant to give access to everyone and that's what we are striving for," said Kyle Wilson, Senior Director of Sales & Recruitment, Inglis Digital USA.
Kyle Wilson | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital USA
The October Inglis Digital USA Sale will release their catalogue on October 25, with the sale taking place on October 29.
