The star is in the building
Justify arrives at Belmont looking to make Triple Crown history
Just after 2 on Wednesday afternoon, the 18wheel Brook Ledge horse van ground to a stop in front of Barn No. 1 on the backstretch at Belmont Park. For the next four days or so, it will be home to Justify, the most talked-about race horse on the planet.
The colt with the white blaze running down his chestnut face was led out of the van and was met with a barrage of clicking cameras. The star of the show, Saturday’s 150th running of the Grade I, $1.5-million Belmont Stakes, was in the house.
A capped sellout crowd of 90,000 is expected to pour into Belmont to see if Justify can do what American Pharoah did three years ago. Pharoah became the first horse in 37 years to win the Triple Crown, earned with victories in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Because American Pharoah’s Triple Crown is still fresh, the questions that begs to be asked is this: Will Belmont be as fancharged Saturday as it was three years ago? Those who play this game say absolutely.
Bob Baffert, who trains Justify and also trained American Pharoah, says that New York sports fans love big sports stories.
Justify is looking to run his winning streak to six straight in the Belmont.
His total margin of victory in those six races is 22 lengths, although that margin has decreased in each start.
“I think there is a lot of excitement for this horse,” Baffert said after tucking Justify into his temporary home. “People want to see the best players play. They want to see the Golden State Warriors, they come out to see the superstars.”
Of course, Baffert remembers the uniqueness of American Pharoah’s Triple Crown. Because no one had seen one for so long, it seemed the whole crowd at Belmont was pulling for the horse to do it. When American Pharoah did it, Baffert said he remembers an ovation that lasted several minutes.
The deafening roar would not stop. Baffert wants to hear that sound again. Justify has to do the work, though, being the fastest horse in the demanding 11/2-mile race.
There are nine other horses signed up to try to ruin the party on Saturday. Trainer Todd Pletcher, who has won three Belmont Stakes, including last year’s with Tapwrit, will try with two, Vino Rosso and Noble Indy.
Pletcher said with a Triple Crown on the line, the excitement level never wanes at Belmont Park.
“When the Triple Crown is at stake, the Belmont becomes the premier race in the United States,” Pletcher said outside his barn Wednesday morning. “It compares to any sporting event. There is an electricity to it that only real special events have and you can feel it.”
Justify started his day in Louisville, Ky., where he has been since winning the Preakness in Baltimore on May 19. Justify has been training at Churchill Downs under the supervision of Baffert’s assistant, Jimmy Barnes.
The colt flew from Louisville to MacArthur Airport in nearby Islip, a flight of one hour and 46 minutes. After vanning to Belmont, Justify was walked under the shedrow of Barn No. 1, which belongs to trainer John Terranova and his wife, Tonja.