Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Just Steel

Apr 16, 2024 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

BC Stables, LLC’s Just Steel ranks 12th on the 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series leaderboard with 65 qualifying points to date. The D. Wayne Lukas trainee punched his ticket to Louisville when finishing a clear runner-up in the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park on March 30.

Just Steel broke his maiden in his third lifetime try at Saratoga on Aug. 5, and the bay picked up his lone stakes trophy when annexing the Eddie Brown S. under the Twin Spires on Nov. 25 in his juvenile finale. He commenced his three-year-old season with a runner-up finish in the Smarty Jones S. on Jan. 1 at Oaklawn Park, prior to checking in second in the Southwest S. (G3) on Feb. 3. He preceded his Arkansas Derby run with a seventh-place effort in the Rebel S. (G2), and his career line reads 11-2-4-1, $724,545.

#6 Arabian Knight (2/5) miles best in the Southwest Stakes (G3) from @OaklawnRacing under @ljlmvel.

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Just Steel was bred in the Bluegrass State by Summerhill Farm and attracted a final bid of $500,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The son of champion Justify is the third stakes winner produced from the Group-1 winning Fastnet Rock mare Irish Lights, who captured the 2009 Thousand Guineas (G1) at Caulfield in Australia. This superb female line traces back to Group 1 heroine and 1994 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Fall Aspen, who is the dam of 1995 Preakness S. (G1) star Timber Country, as well as the granddam of the incomparable Dubai Millennium.

The bay colt has earned Brisnet Speed numbers of 86-91-86-97 from four performances in 2024, with his most recent resulting in a lifetime-best showing. He will be as fit as any runner in the Kentucky Derby field with 11 lifetime starts to his credit, and his exquisite catalog page hints that 10 furlongs will be well within his scope at Churchill Downs. While the sophomore has to improve to be considered a prime win player on May 4, a forward move will make him an interesting top-four contender at big odds.

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