Horses to follow in 2025: Just a Touch

Almost a year ago around this time, a son of Justify sparked plenty of buzz in his debut romp at Fair Grounds for trainer Brad Cox. Just a Touch hasn’t been seen since last summer, but the runner-up to Sierra Leone in the 2024 Blue Grass (G1) brings plenty of upside into his four-year-old season.

Bred by Don Alberto Corp., Just a Touch was a $300,000 OBS April juvenile purchase by Fergus Galvin, acting for Qatar Racing and Marc Detampel. Although that was an improvement on his $125,000 price as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling, it was less than might have been expected for a colt of his profile.

Indeed, Just a Touch had been one of the bullet workers during his session of the under tack show, drilling one furlong in :9 4/5. Moreover, he hailed from an excellent consignor, Scanlon Training & Sales. Proprietor David Scanlon, who boasts an enviable resume in the development of young prospects, also gave Sierra Leone his early lessons before he graduated to the racetrack. Scanlon made no secret of his high regard for Just a Touch’s ability.

If Just a Touch had been underestimated by the auction crowd, the bettors didn’t miss him when he turned up in a six-furlong maiden at Fair Grounds on Jan. 27, 2024. The word was out after he posted a series of strong works over the historic New Orleans track, and Just a Touch was hammered into 1-2 favoritism. He lived up to billing in a 4 1/4-length conquest in the slop, worth a lofty 97 Brisnet Speed rating. 

The Road to the Kentucky Derby logically beckoned for the hotshot maiden winner, who attracted a new partner into the ownership group. John Stewart’s Resolute Racing came aboard. 

Cox wisely chose the Gotham (G3) for his first stakes venture. The one-turn mile at Aqueduct marked a gentler transition from his sprint debut, and Just a Touch was backed into 1.70-1 favoritism. Again catching a sloppy track, he stalked the pace until inexperience found him out, and he lost focus before kicking on too late in second. The fact that he paired up his 97 Speed rating, however, was encouraging.

“I had a good trip, forwardly placed, right off of the two horses in front,” regular rider Florent Geroux said. “He was still a little bit immature. I lost him a little bit. He was not traveling that great in the turn, so I had to ask him a little more than I would have loved to, but I was very happy with the last eighth of a mile. He picked himself up and came back to re-rally and secure the second place.”

“It looked like he finished up well,” Cox observed. “He showed enough speed, and he's obviously still learning, but I think he'll be better around two turns. He's big, with plenty of leg, and hopefully he will stretch.”

Just a Touch duly stretched out for the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass, where his old school chum Sierra Leone was very much the one to beat. While Sierra Leone had too much firepower for him to contain, Just a Touch moved forward to produce his career-best effort so far, whether you judge from the perspective of his Speed figure (100) or the class of the field. 

Prompting a solid pace, he took charge down the stretch and edged away, only to have deep-closing Sierra Leone blow by late. Just a Touch was all alone in second, 3 3/4 lengths clear of the rest. Among those in his wake were the future winners of the Belmont (G1) and Haskell (G1) (Dornoch) as well as the Preakness (G1) and Pennsylvania Derby (G1) (Seize the Grey). 

“He ran great, had a great trip,” Geroux recapped. “The pace was a bit quicker than I thought it would be. Turning for home, I thought I had it but was just taken down by Sierra Leone. My horse had a good finish to be second. He ran a good race and against really good horses, maybe the (Kentucky) Derby favorite. But we are in the Derby, and he’s a real good horse, and I have hope for him.”

Alas, Just a Touch had a rough go of it early in the Derby and endured the culture shock of being behind in a big field. He managed to get about three lengths off the leaders at one point, in ninth, but soon gave way and wound up trailing home last of 20. 

“He got bounced around at the start,” Cox said, “and his race was kind of over after an eighth of a mile, looked like to me, and Florent kind of agreed.”

“I was in the middle, got bounced around a lot from both sides,” Geroux reported. “From there, my horse was very keen…and when it was time to go, he wasn’t there for me. He used a lot of energy early.”

Freshened from that trial by fire, Just a Touch resumed in the July 6 Iowa Derby and sustained a tough beat as the 7-10 favorite. He worked out his preferred pace-prompting trip and struck the front, but couldn’t put the race away. Henro swooped on the outside to head him at the wire. 

Just a Touch recorded 99 Speed and 100 Late Pace ratings for that near-miss. While he turned the page on his Derby debacle, he headed to the sidelines thereafter. 

Back on the worktab at Payson Park Dec. 22, Just a Touch promptly breezed three furlongs in a bullet :37. The bay has progressed to an easy half-mile in his latest move Jan. 10.

Just a Touch’s seconditis in stakes other than the Derby was likely the result of greenness and his own developmental curve as a late foal, born May 5. A stronger, more mature colt is eligible to impose his authority at a higher level this year.

His physique and way of going suggest that a two-turn victory is within his reach. Still, it’s worth remembering that his dam, Touching Beauty, was a one-turn specialist despite being by Tapit. Touching Beauty placed second to Awesome Maria in the 2009 Matron (G2) (in its historic dirt setting) and scored her marquee win in the 2010 Comely (G3). 

Let’s hope that Just a Touch can fulfill Geroux’s post-Blue Grass prophecy:

“I really think he’s going to blossom and be great.”