LOUISVILLE, KY – Griffon Farms and trainer Michelle Lovell’s 5-year-old gelding Just Might led every step of the way and turned back a late rush from Classy John to win Saturday’s fifth running of the $102,950 Mighty Beau Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs by 1 length.
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Just Might ran 5 furlongs over firm turf in :56.33 under Colby Hernandez to collect his third stakes win. He also won the 2020 and 2021 renewals of the Colonel Power Stakes at Fair Grounds.
“I wanted to get him a good break and we got away good from the inside, and he just took them all the way around there,” Hernandez said.
Sent to post at odds of 4/1, Just Might paid $10, $5.20 and $3.40. Classy John, under Corey Lanerie, returned $4.20 and $3.20. Carotari, the 2/1 favorite, was another length back in third under Julien Leparoux and paid $2.80 to show.
Johnny Unleashed, High Crime, Elusive Mischief, and Totally Boss completed the order of finish. Smart Remark, The Connector, and Verb were scratched.
Just Might, who went gate to wire from the rail through early fractions of :21.77 and :44.25, earned $66,756 for the win and improved his career record to 26-5-7-6 with $400,309 earned.
“We really liked him against this field,” Lovell said. “Being on the rail, we had to go to the lead. Colby did an excellent job getting him away from there and around the turn, when he didn’t want to corner as well. He’s a big-hearted horse and it’s a very exciting week for our stable.”
Just Might, a son of Justin Phillip out of the Dynameaux mare Dynamite Babe, was bred by Griffon Farms’ Robert Griffon and Lovell.
