A Justifiable Triple Crown champion
Justify becomes 13th horse to win Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes
NEW YORK — Justify defied all the odds on his way to achieving Triple Crown immortality.
The late bloomer won the Belmont Stakes by 13/4 lengths Saturday, giving the sport its 13th Triple Crown champion.
American Pharoah ended a 37-year drought in 2015 and now, just four years later, racing is celebrating another sweep of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont.
Justify was bred in Kentucky by Langley-based breeder John Gunther, who splits his time between B.C. and Kentucky.
Justify began his racing career on Feb. 18, a scant 77 days before the Derby. He won his first three races by a combined 19 lengths, making trainer Bob Baffert a believer.
The big chestnut colt with the appetite to match burst onto the national scene with a 21/2-length victory on a sloppy track in the Derby. Two weeks later, he survived a challenge in the fog-shrouded Preakness, winning by a halflength, again in the slop, to set up a Triple Crown try.
On a cloudy 26C day at Belmont Park, Justify proved a cool customer.
He didn’t flinch when greeted by 90,327 roaring fans as he walked onto the track. He stood so quietly in the starting gate that jockey Mike Smith wondered if he’d respond when it sprang open. Did he ever.
Justify led all the way in achieving one of the sports world’s toughest feats 45 years to the day that Secretariat won the Belmont by a record 31 lengths.
Justify accomplished a lot in a very short time.
At 6-0, he joins Seattle Slew in 1977 as the only two undefeated Triple Crown winners; he’s the first to sweep the series without racing at age 2 (because of a pulled muscle); and he’s the only horse to beat nine rivals in the Belmont with a Triple try on the line. Slew also was a wire-to-wire Belmont winner.
Justify’s human handlers also made history.
Baffert became the second trainer to win the Triple Crown twice, having overseen American Pharoah. James “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons guided Gallant Fox in 1930 and Omaha in 1935.
“It never gets old,” Baffert said. “American Pharoah, he’ll always be my first love.”
At 52, Smith became the oldest jockey to win the Triple Crown. He celebrated by grabbing white carnations from the winner’s blanket and tossing them in the air.
Purchased for $500,000, Justify earned $800,000 for his Belmont win, giving him $3,798,000 in his brief career.
The powerful colt with the blaze running the length of his face showed no signs that the compressed schedule had got to him.
On a fast, dry track, Justify was just as good in his third race in five weeks at his third different track.
Sent off as the 4-5 favourite, Justify ran 11/2 miles — the longest race of the series — in 2:28.18 and paid $3.60, $3.50 and $2.80.
“This horse ran a tremendous race, he’s so gifted,” Smith said. “He’s sent from heaven. I tell you, it’s just amazing.”
Baffert fretted after Justify drew the No. 1 post, a spot he detests for his horses. But Smith turned it into an advantage, gunning Justify to the lead and defying any horse to challenge.
Restoring Hope, also trained by Baffert, ran interference for the champion while travelling second and deterring any threats by forcing them to go extremely wide. Nobody did.
There were mild bids turning for home. Vino Rosso made the most serious move to get within a length but never threatened.
Justify pulled away down the 1,097-yard stretch in front of screaming fans with only 24-1 shot Gronkowski picking off a half-dozen rivals in taking up the chase down the lane.
Gronkowski returned $13.80 and $7 in his U.S. debut after arriving from England. Hofburg paid $3.70 to show. Vino Rosso finished fourth, followed by Tenfold, Bravazo, Free Drop Billy, Restoring Hope, Blended Citizen and Noble Indy.