BloodHorse
By Eric Mitchell
1/25/2024
Just F Y I is from the second crop of 2018 American Triple Crown winner Justify and a third generation Krikorian homebred. Krikorian got involved in the champion's family when he bought the Dynaformer daughter Starrer for $35,000 at the 1999 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale from Wind Hill Farm (Mr. and Mrs. William Wofford, agents). Starrer went on to win five graded stakes, including the 2003 Santa Maria Handicap (G1) and Santa Margarita Invitational Handicap (G1), and retired with $1,043,033 in career earnings.
The sixth foal Krikorian bred out of Starrer would be the mare's first black-type performer, a stakes-placed Street Cry filly named Star Act , who is the dam of Just F Y I.
With trainer Bill Mott, Just F Y I won her racing debut Aug. 26 at Saratoga Race Course by a head and her gritty display in the last furlong of that six-furlong race earned her a shot next out in the Frizette Stakes (G1). She took the one-mile Frizette by 3 3/4 lengths at Aqueduct Racetrack and earned a spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1). The rainy day at Aqueduct also produced a personal milestone for Krikorian, who raced two grade 1 winners on the same day after War Like Goddess added a Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) victory to her already impressive résumé.
During the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park, Just F Y I was the 7-1 third-choice. She raced much closer to the lead than in her previous starts, which put her in the lead by 1 1/2 lengths in the stretch. She then held off a late charge by Jody's Pride to win by a neck in 1:44.58.
"It's pretty unusual for a horse to win a grade 1 off of just one maiden race," Mott said after the Juvenile Fillies score. "She showed us she could do it; we didn't force her. She just showed that she was ready to run and we felt like as well as she had run, that she deserved a shot in the Frizette and it paid off."
Just F Y I is Krikorian's third grade 1-winning homebred, following the successes of Mucho Unusual and Star Billing.
