Triple Crown victor Justify to race again after deserved rest
Triple Crown winner Justify will get a well-deserved break and then race again this year, although no date or location has been targeted yet after the colt came out of his Belmont Stakes victory in good condition.
Elliott Walden of WinStar Farm said the multi-owner group that controls Justify wants to share the horse with the public by racing him. A plan will be formulated once the chestnut colt recovers from a compressed schedule that saw him win six races over 111 days since his debut on Feb. 18.
“Our focus was on each race as they came up,” Walden said after unveiling Justify’s Triple Crown banner inside Belmont Park. “Now we can take a deep breath and just see how the horse is.”
Justify is set to return to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., today.
Next Saturday, Justify’s owners along with trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Mike Smith will receive their engraved Kentucky Derby trophies at Churchill Downs. It’s possible Justify could be paraded at the track like American Pharoah after he won the Triple Crown for Baffert in 2015.
On June 17, Justify will travel to Baffert’s base in Southern California to await his next move.
Soccer
NEYMAR HELPS BRAZIL BEAT AUSTRIA IN CUP WARMUP >> Neymar scored his second goal in two matches since returning from injury on Sunday, netting with a superb secondhalf strike as Brazil defeated Austria 3-0 in Vienna in its final warmup game ahead of the World Cup.
Set up by Willian in the 63rd minute, Neymar wrong-footed Austria defender Aleksandar Dragovic with a quick move and converted through the legs of goalkeeper Heinz Lindner for Brazil’s second goal.
Gabriel Jesus gave Brazil the lead after 36 minutes with a slick finish from a tight angle. Philippe Coutinho added a third after being sent deep by Roberto Firmino 20 minutes from the end.
A week before Brazil’s World Cup opener against Switzerland, Neymar started for the first time since recovering from fracturing his right foot which kept him out for three months. He stayed on for almost the entire game, being replaced in the 84th.
NFL
SEATTLE’S THOMAS WANTS NEW DEAL BEFORE HE’LL ATTEND MINICAMP >> Earl Thomas is putting pressure on the Seattle Seahawks for a new contract, saying he will not participate in any team activities until his contract situation is resolved. That includes the upcoming mandatory minicamp.
The three-time All-Pro safety posted a lengthy statement on social media, saying he wants “certainty in regards to the upcoming years of my career,” before he takes part in any Seahawks related activities. Thomas is entering the final year of his current deal signed before the 2014 season. He is scheduled to make $8.5 million in base salary in 2018.
Seattle opens its minicamp Tuesday, and Thomas could face fines of about $84,000 if he skips all three days. Last week, coach Pete Carroll said he expected all players who had been skipping the optional team workouts — most notably Thomas, defensive end Frank Clark and cornerback Byron Maxwell — would be in attendance for the minicamp.
Olympics
SWISS VOTE KILLS HOSTING BID >> Another Olympic hosting bid in Switzerland was sunk by a public vote against expected high costs.
A total of 53.98 percent of voters in the Swiss region of Valais refused to pledge financial support for a 2026 Winter Games hosting bid centered on the town of Sion.