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Totally Justified graduates in style in $150K P. G. Johnson

by Keith McCalmont

Bregman Family Racing’s Totally Justified stepped into stakes company for the first time and rewarded her connections with a stylish maiden score in Wednesday’s Listed $150,000 P. G. Johnson, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for juvenile fillies, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Rusty Arnold and piloted by Manny Franco, the Justify bay made her turf debut a winning one following a pair of efforts over the main track in Kentucky, including a last-out third traveling one-mile on July 29 at Ellis Park.

Arnold credited owner Alex Bregman, of Major League Baseball’s American League West leading Houston Astros, for selecting the race for Totally Justified.

“He picked the race out and was game enough to take a maiden to New York and run in Saratoga and against stake horses,” Arnold said. “It was a big jump and it worked out, and I have to give him all the credit for doing it. It’s huge, I have to say.

“I’m kind of old school and you don’t do a lot of that [putting maidens in a stakes race], but her races were good and we were expecting a big jump in her when she went onto the turf,” added Arnold.

Totally Justified, a $285,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, is a half-sister to dual Grade 2-turf winner Masteroffoxhounds and boasts significant turf pedigree being out of the Grade 1-placed Galileo mare Outstanding, who is a full-sister to Grade/Group 1-winner Magician and Grade 3-winner Apple Betty.

She broke alertly from post 6 and tracked from second position as Second Chance was hustled out of the gate by Junior Alvarado to set splits of 24.80 seconds and 50.28 over the firm footing. The duo of She’s Our Tiz, saving ground to the inside of Merry and Bright, stalked their early foot with impressive maiden winner Virgin Colada in need of racing room in fifth.

Franco gave Totally Justified her cue through the final turn and his filly responded to overtake the tiring pacesetter with Virgin Colada, who had been taken back and angled outside for racing room by jockey Flavien Prat, looming large as the field straightened away.

Totally Justified stayed on strong down the lane as Virgin Colada made up ground with every stride with the wide-rallying Reining Flowers, who stumbled at the start, charging into the mix from last. Totally Justified drifted out in deep stretch to meet her challengers and held on gamely for a half-length score over Virgin Colada in a final time of 1:43.87.

Franco, who picked up his second stakes win of the meet, said Totally Justified responded well when challenged in the lane.

“I felt like at the eighth pole they were getting close, but as soon as they got close to me, my filly responded right away again,” Franco said. “I think it was a great effort for her.

“I had a great trip,” continued Franco. “She jumped out of there well, took me into the race without asking too much, and I was cruising. We were going slow, so when I asked her to go, she was there, and she fought hard.”

It was a neck back to Reining Flowers in third with Merry and Bright, She’s Our Tiz, Lemonpeppasteppa, Lady Orient and Second Chance rounding out the order of finish. Good Conduct and main-track only entrant Fortuna Mia were scratched.

Arnold said he was pleased with his filly’s turf debut.

“I was very impressed with the race,” Arnold said. “She broke just great, Manny had not been on her, but we talked to him about it this morning and he did such a good job. The pace got slow, she was right there, and then when they came to her, as he said, she had a new gear at the eighth pole and kicked on. Very happy. Good effort. Any time you win a stake at Saratoga, it’s great.”

Resolute Racing’s Virgin Colada, trained by Chad Brown, closed from 9th-of-10 to win her July 21 debut traveling the P. G. Johnson distance with Prat aboard, but could not replicate that turn-of-foot today.

Prat said his filly was hampered after losing position through the second turn.

"It was a slow pace. She didn't have a good trip,” said Prat, who has won 14 stakes races at the meet and is one shy of the meet record held by Joel Rosario and Irad Ortiz, Jr., who each won 15 in 2022, while Hall of Famer John Velazquez first set the mark in 2005.

Arnold said he will wait to speak to his owner, who was 2-for-3 on the day in the midst of a 7-0 lead over the Philadelphia Phillies, before deciding if Totally Justified’s next start will come in the Grade 2, $200,000 Miss Grillo on September 29 at Belmont at the Big A, or the Grade 2 Jessamine on October 4 at Keeneland.

“I’ll talk to him about it. I think he was batting when she was running,” said Arnold, with a laugh. “It will be one of those two races next if everything comes back good.”

Bred in Kentucky by Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt, Totally Justified banked $82,500 in victory while improving her record to 3-1-0-1. She returned $14.60 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Thursday at Saratoga with an 11-race card featuring the Grade 3, $175,000 With Anticipation in Race 10. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

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