Goodlookinjustice holds court in Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Handicap

The win streak continues for Goodlookinjustice, who earned his first premier racing win Wednesday in the 16th running of the $100,000 Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Stakes at Horseshoe Indianapolis.

Sammy Bermudez guided the Indiana bred colt to victory for trainer Aaron West and owner Justice Farm.

Goodlookinjustice (photo) began his race from post six and was on top from the first jump out of the gate. Molly’s Town and Fernando De La Cruz joined Goodlookinjustice on the front end heading down the backstretch. Goodlookinjustice got a little more of an advantage heading into the turn before Molly’s Town came right back to match him stride for stride heading out of the turn.

In the stretch, Goodlookinjustice and Molly’s Town both pulled away from the rest of the field, but in the end, Goodlookinjustice was too strong through the wire, winning by one and one-quarter lengths over Molly’s Town. Concentration and Manny Esquivel rallied up late for third.

Goodlookinjustice paid $10 for the win. The Street Boss sophomore emerges from the Justice Farm breeding operation. It is difficult to scan through the premier racing winners each season in Indiana and not come across a handful of horses from their farm.

Led by Greg Justice, they are the leading farm each year at the ITOBA Fall Sale for some of their horses. The others, like Goodlookinjustice, are retained by the farm and put into training. Aaron West conditions a lot of their horses for the Indiana racing program.

“He (Goodlookinjustice) ran a good race today,” said West. “I just want to thank Greg Justice and everyone in the barn. All the hard work they have done. It takes a team to get this stuff done.”

Goodlookinjustice now has four wins in seven starts. He has not been worse than second his entire career and has been ridden in every start by Bermudez. His earnings now topple over the $150,000 mark.

Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Handicap

All she needed was a little room at the start and Lil Gin N Class was all business in the 16th running of the $100,000 Hoosier Breeders Sophomore Handicap for three-year-old fillies. The Indiana bred was guided by Fernando De La Cruz, Horseshoe Indianapolis’ all-time leading jockey in purse earnings and premier racing wins, increasing both tallies Wednesday in the win.

De La Cruz, a native of Peru, hustled Lil Gin N Class (photo) out of the gate from the inside post one and held his ground early on from Charged Legacy and Joshua Morales. She kept the field to her heels before beginning to inch out at the halfway point of the six furlong race.

As she moved out of the single turn, she was on top of the field by three lengths and had no intentions of slowing down. Lil Gin N Class sprinted home to a four-length advantage for the win in 1:10.64.

Noneofyourbusiness and Manny Esquivel held their ground for second over Si Certo and Rodney Prescott, who closed well for third.

Lil Gin N Class paid $17.20 for the win. It was her first attempt in premier racing action and her second straight victory this season. She is owned by Matt Kwiatkowski and Jason Kaylor, who were part of the ownership team behind 2023 Indiana Horse of the Year Nobody Listens. Tim Eggleston trains the young filly, who was making her seventh career start.

“She (Lil Gin N Class) has been a good filly for us,” said Eggleston. “She was born on the farm. Nancy Winchel and Martin Elms bred her, and they've been long time owners of ours. They are slowin' down and wanted to sell her, and Matt (Kwiatkowski) and Jason (Kaylor) bought her. She's been a great little horse and she's gonna get better with time."

Lil Gin N Class, a daughter of Coal Front, more than doubled her career bankroll and now has in excess of $100,000 on her card. She has only been out of the top three once in her career, showing her consistency for the Eggleston team.

“We are just real excited, you know, just over the moon,” said Kaylor, who along with Kwiatkowski own State Farm Insurance agencies. “Fernando (De La Cruz) just gave an incredible ride to break on top and then get her to the lead with the inside post. Tim (Eggleston) and Jordan (Hash, Eggleston’s assistant) also did a heck of a job training her too. We are very thankful to have had the opportunity to buy a horse like this.”

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