By Stefanie Grimm
Jockey Junior Alvarado and trainer Bill Mott partnered up again for another win on Saturday's Pegasus World Cup card as Grand Job (Justify) romped home as the favorite in the GII Inside Information Stakes.
Bred in Kentucky but debuted as a 2-year-old in Ireland for then-trainer Joseph O'Brien, the daughter of Coolmore super-sire Justify hit the board in three of four starts but failed to break through for the win. Imported to North America as a 3-year-old, Grand Job found her footing in her first start for newly-crowned Eclipse-winning trainer Mott, winning her first two starts in gate to wire fashion by a total of 13 1/4 lengths before finishing second as a 4-year-old in the GIII Royal Delta Stakes. A winner again going a mile on the local course in late March of last year, she went to the sidelines for eight months and resurfaced to finish eighth when weakening from the lead at Churchill Downs sprinting six furlongs Nov. 25.
Drawn outside Saturday and going off as the favorite in her fifth consecutive race at odds of 2-1, Grand Job had plenty of early speed up the backstretch, racing three wide with Jody's Pride (American Pharoah) and One Magic Philly (Good Magic) both to her inside on the run into the far turn as the half ticked by in :45.06.
Alvarado, positioned high in the saddle and motionless past the quarter pole, clearly knew what he had as Grand Job swept past both runners and was alone turning for home before she even kicked into high gear.
A few shakes of the reins kept her focused as she easily out-finished the closing 5-1 shot Sterling Silver (Cupid) under a hand ride for the stylish win. Claret Beret (Not This Time) filled out the trifecta at 15-1.
Mott and Alvarado teamed up three races earlier to win the GIII Fred W. Hooper Stakes with 'TDN Rising Star' Knightsbridge (Nyquist) as well as the day's second race, a maiden special weight win by Swing Vote (Constitution).
“We always felt she had it in her,” Mott said. “You could see from Knightsbridge's form and her form, when they won early on, they were probably uncontested. Coming out of maidens and one-other-thans, they looked pretty good. Now that they've had time, they've looked that good against stakes quality. It was good see. It's just had to do with her development.”
“It's been an amazing day,” said Alvarado of his fourth winner on the day. “I've been on very live horses, good horses that I've been riding. This filly today, she's been ready for quite a while She was ready for me today, and I was just a passenger.”
Pedigree Note:
A $105,000 yearling pick up out of Keeneland September for Fergus Galvin, Grand Job is the 29th graded stakes winner for Triple Crown hero Justify. First dam Sure Route was stakes placed three times in North America herself and has a perfect five-for-five strike rate runners to winners led by her first foal, Grand Job's three-quarter sister Divine Image (Scat Dady) who took down the G3 Range Rover UAE Oaks in 2019 for Godolphin. That mare has since produced a group winner in France in Al Zanati (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Sure Route was culled for just $17,000 listed as carrying a full-sibling to Grand Job at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale. While she ultimately failed to produce a fail from that cover, she does have a now 2-year-old Gold Pal colt in the pipeline and was served by another Coolmore sire in Tiz the Law for this season.
Fourth victory today for jockey @JuniorandKellyA!
Grand Job easily wins the Inside Information S. G2 presented by @MyRacehorse. #GulfstreamPark #ChampionshipMeet pic.twitter.com/VQxrwb0qhk— Gulfstream Park (@GulfstreamPark) January 24, 2026
Saturday, Gulfstream
INSIDE INFORMATION S. PRESENTED BY MYRACEHORSE-GII, $200,000, Gulfstream, 1-24, 4yo/up, f/m, 7f, 1:21.41, ft.
1–GRAND JOB, 118, m, 5, by Justify
1st Dam: Sure Route (GB) (MSP, $201,163), by Ishiguru
2nd Dam: Shore Light, by Gulch
3rd Dam: Shawgatny, by Danzig Connection
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($105,000
Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Bell Tower Thoroughbreds and Medallion
Racing; B-Fullbury (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Junior Alvarado.
$116,560. Lifetime Record: 10-4-4-0, $325,726. *1/2 to Divine
Image (Scat Daddy), Hwt.-UAE- at 7 – 9 1/2 f., GSW-UAE,
$391,535. Werk Nick Rating: C.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sterling Silver, 120, m, 7, Cupid–Sheet Humor, by Distorted
Humor. ($13,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $975,000 RNA 6yo '25
FTKNOV). O-Mark T. Anderson; B-Mallory & Karen Mort (NY);
T-Anthony R. Margotta, Jr. $37,600.
3–Claret Beret, 118, m, 5, Not This Time–Bessie M,
by Medallist. ($85,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $375,000 Ylg '22
KEESEP). O-Miller Racing LLC; B-Mitch Haynes (KY); T-Saffie A.
Joseph, Jr. $18,800.
Margins: 2 3/4, 2 3/4, HF. Odds: 2.10, 5.40, 12.90.
Also Ran: Her Laugh, Dazzling Move, Beyond Belief, Necessity, Jody's Pride, One Magic Philly, Indy Bay, Verity. Scratched: Patricia Ann. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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