STAKES ARE HIGH FOR JUSTIFY
Having the Preakness favourite has never bothered Bob Baffert before and it doesn’t bother him with Justify. Coming off an impressive victory in the Kentucky Derby, Justify is the 1-2 morning-line favourite for Saturday ’s second race in a field of eight horses in Baltimore. Derby runner-up Good Magic is the second choice at 3-1, but Justify is the horse to beat with the chance to give Baffert his seventh Preakness winner and a shot at a second Triple Crown in four years after American Pharoah did it in 2015. Baffert is 4-0 in the Preakness with the Derby winner and doesn’t see any reason why Justify doesn’t have another big run in him. Justify will face three other Derby challengers — Good Magic, Lone Sailor, Bravazo — and four horses who skipped it: Quip, Tenfold, Sporting Chance and Diamond King. If Justify runs his best race, the rest of the field could be running for second.