Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Justify allays injury fears
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Everybody can calm down now.
Justify was sent through a spirited gallop early Thursday at Churchill Downs in his first day of training since the colt won the 144th Kentucky Derby, allaying concerns that his bid for the May 19 Preakness at Pimlico will be hindered by the minor injury he incurred during the Derby.
With regular exercise rider Humberto Gomez aboard, and with assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes alongside while aboard the Bob Baffert stable pony, Justify was the first horse to step on a freshly harrowed Churchill surface at 7:31 a.m. Eastern. After jogging around clockwise to the wire, Justify and Gomez turned around and were on their way, proceeding through about 1 1/2 miles of vigorous exercise.
With Justify walking off the track and back to Barn 33, again accompanied by Barnes on the pony, Gomez gave a thumbsup while Barnes nodded his approval. After taking a couple of turns around the shed row, the colt was brought out for his bath, standing calmly for several minutes before his blanket was placed over him and he was led back into the barn to finish cooling out.
Elliott Walden, the former trainer who is president of WinStar Farm, one of Justify’s ownership entities, took it all in.
“He went great,” Walden said. “The last couple of days he’s looked good. You never know until you go to the track, but he looked super out there. He looked super every step. We’re very happy with him.”
The morning after winning the Derby on a sloppy Churchill track, Justify appeared to be favoring his left hind hoof. Walden described it as a cracked heel, and Barnes has described it as a minor hoof bruise, but whatever the case all indications are that it has been rendered a non-issue with the benefit of several days’ rest and veterinary care.
Walden said Justify’s foot has “looked good the last couple of days.”
“It’s just a typical thing,” he said. “A lot of horses get what he had. That track was rough on Saturday, not from a standpoint of anything anybody could do, but it was just a muddy racetrack. It just jammed up his heel a little bit.
“It took some time to figure out what was going on, and that’s typical of being a good horseman and trying to evaluate the thing and then work on it.”
Barnes said Justify will continue to gallop daily until he and the other Pimlico-bound horses leave here Wednesday on a charter flight bound for Baltimore.
Baffert, who is expected to return here Sunday from California to oversee the last few days of training at Churchill, said on a national teleconference Thursday afternoon: “We made sure [the foot issue] was behind him. [Barnes and Gomez] were really happy with him. He was very sharp. He actually came out of the race really well. It’s all behind us and we’re on to Baltimore.”
Meanwhile, the status of Good Magic toward the Preakness remains the most compelling variable as to how strong the competition will be for Justify. Good Magic gave closest chase to Justify throughout much of the Derby last Saturday before settling for second, 2 1/2 lengths back.
For the second straight day, Good Magic jogged a mile over the Belmont Park training track Thursday. Trainer Chad Brown continues to be pleased with how the 2-year-old champion has bounced out of the Kentucky Derby, and said the Preakness remains under consideration.
“Just taking it day by day. So far he certainly hasn’t done anything to make me rule it out,” Brown said.
Meanwhile, from Keene-land in Lexington, Ky., owner-trainer Mick Ruis said Bolt d’Oro is likely to run in the Preakness after summarily ruling out the colt last Saturday in the immediate aftermath of the Derby. Bolt d’Oro faded badly to finish 12th, beaten 24 lengths.
“Bolt is doing good,” Ruis said via text message. “If we have a good track on race day, we are pointing to the Preakness if all goes well in training.”
If he doesn’t go to Pimlico, the June 2 Penn Mile or June 9 Woody Stephens are alternative next starts, Ruis added.
Also, Diamond King has been scratched from the Peter Pan on Saturday at Belmont and is now definite for the Preakness, trainer John Servis said. Diamong King won the local prep, the April 21 Tesio at Laurel Park.
Other definite starters for the Preakness include the D. Wayne Lukas duo of Sporting Chance and Bravazo, and Quip, owned by WinStar Farm and trained by Rodolphe Brisset. Quip was runner-up in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn on April 14.
Three others, all at Churchill, are being termed possible to probable: Tenfold, Lone Sailor, and Givemeaminit, while Pony Up also is probable for Calumet Farm and trainer Todd Pletcher.