Justenzia

What makes Justenzia interesting is the narrow ground where it runs best. Over distances of 1 mile 1 furlong to 1 mile 2 furlongs, the horse has won 1 of 9 races — an 11% win rate, well above its overall average. That is a genuine edge, the kind of thing a shrewd handler notices and tries to exploit. The problem is consistency: Justenzia's last six runs show the raggedness of a horse going through the motions, with finishes scattered from 2nd place down to 15th. It was placed just two days ago, which at least suggests the horse is trying, but placed performances at this level do not put hay in the barn. Denis Gerard Hogan's Tipperary yard, which has already sent out 54 winners this season, is a serious operation, and Justenzia remains in work — but the 12-month drought since Clonmel tells its own story. This is a horse that found its level once and has not been able to do it again.