Justify’s ankle is cause for concern

Triple Crown winner was expected to race on the East Coast, but now that’s up in air.

Justify’s racing future has become uncertain, with the Triple Crown winner pulled from training to be evaluated for an ankle problem.

“Justify had some filling in his left front ankle a week ago, which subsided in a couple days,” trainer Bob Baffert said in a statement. “I trained him last week and the filling came back. We want to get him checked out.”

Justify’s next race has been the cause for much speculation. When Baffert won the Triple Crown with American Pharoah in 2015, the colt won in the Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park in New Jersey and finished second in the Travers at Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

He finished his career with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

It was speculated that the same path could be in store for Justify, but Baffert and the ownership group have been unusually silent on his racing future. Justify had been training at Santa Anita until last week.

This setback almost assuredly takes him out of the Haskell, set for July 29. The Travers is Aug. 25. Another longshot possibility, because he would have to run against older, more experienced horses, would be the Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 18.

“He is too special to the owners, our team and all the fans he has around the world to not be 100% healthy,” said Elliott Walden, the managing partner in Justify’s ownership group. “As far as any future plans for him, they will be decided after we get him checked out.”

Justify is expected to retire at the end of this racing season or after the $12-million Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in Florida in January. How many races that leaves, if any, remains to be seen.

sports@latimes.com