Hard to Justify digs in gamely to win BC Juvenile Fillies Turf

Hard to Justify ($20.20) swept to the lead at midstretch and then outdueled favorites Porta Fortuna and She Feels Pretty through the final sixteenth of a mile to post a head victory in the 16th running of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday afternoon at Santa Anita.

Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Flavien Prat for Wise Racing, Hard to Justify completed the mile over a firm turf course in 1:34.42. It is the 17th Breeders’ Cup victory for Brown and sixth in the Juvenile Fillies Turf. For Prat, it is his fifth Breeders’ Cup victory and first in this race.

Brown’s other victories in the race came with Maram (2008), Lady Eli (2014), New Money Honey (2016), Rushing Fall (2017) and Newspaperofrecord (2018).

Long shot Dreamfyre set the pace with Hard to Justify tracking just behind her. They ran 1-2 until the stretch when Hard to Justify moved to the fore with Porta Fortuna to her inside and She Feels Pretty to her outside while Austere made a bold bid along the rail. However, in the final yards, Hard to Justify had enough of a cushion to claim the victory.

The victory was worth $520,000 and increased Hard to Justify’s earnings to $687,750 as she extended her career record to 3: 3-0-0. She is a Kentucky-bred daughter of Justify out of the Quality Road mare Instant Reflex.

“She’s a very progressive horse who has proven she can overcome trouble,” Brown said after the race. “She’s really very advanced for her age, mentally, and had that physical toughness to overcome a brutal trip in her first race, making a couple different runs during the race to get up. In her second race (G2 Miss Grillo), she was forward and was always there for Flavien (Prat). He was excited to ride her here and liked her chances in the race.

“When we drew wide, it was very disappointing. I looked at the race form and spoke to Flavien and just said that I think she’s one of the only three fillies, barring some European form that I can’t see, from the American horses who is good enough to win. I don’t mind using some fuel early to clear and she did that and hit a 47 and change half. There was mild concern at the three-eighths marker when they started to stack up outside of her. I thought maybe that post would do her in, but I knew she had some fight in her. It’s just a matter of when he wanted to use that last bit of energy that she would have. Sure enough, she had plenty; more than I thought.”