Fans hope to woo Justify to Saratoga
Rally planned Thursday at Gaffney’s
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » The Spa City is sending a loud, clear message to Justify, his trainer Bob Baffert, and the Triple Crown winner’s owners: “We Want You!”
A public rally aimed at bringing the champion race horse to Saratoga for the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers Stakes is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Gaffney’s, 16 Caroline St.
The event will kick off a massive social media campaign and website launch, and include a video, T-shirts, and lawn signs, all with one goal in mind -- having Justify take part in the “Fourth Leg” of racing’s Triple Crown on Saturday, Aug. 25.
“Three years ago, we did a big #Pharoahtoga campaign,” said Todd Shimkus, Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce president. “We’re going to do something similar with a new slogan. I can’t wait. I think it’s even better.”
The theme has been developed by the Saratoga Springs marketing firm Fingerpaint, which also did #Pharoahtoga.
“Justify’s team is looking at a number of race tracks to potentially go to,” Shimkus said. “We want Bob Baffert to know racing fans here are the most passionate. If you’re going to share Justify with any fans in the country, it ought to be with the fans here at Saratoga.”
Based on his light workout schedule since the June 9 Belmont Stakes, it’s “questionable, not doubtful” that Justify will race in the $1 million Haskell Invitational on July 29 at Monmouth Park, New Jersey, said Tom Durkin, former New York Racing Association track announcer.
This could mean Justify is resting up for the Travers. Or he could skip this and wait for this fall’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. Or he could simply retire.
“Justify has enormous value as a stud horse,” Durkin said. “He’s tremendously bred. He’ll be worth more than American Pharoah at stud.”
The horse’s ownership group, led by WinStar Farm, includes Starlight Racing whose principals are parttime Saratoga Springs residents Jack and Laurie Wolf.
However, if Justify does race again, the decision won’t be Baffert’s or that of his owners, Durkin said.
“You always let the horse tell you what he’s going to do,” Durkin said. “If you want to know if Justify is going to race in the Travers, the number one person to ask is Justify. I kind of put it at even money, 50-50.”
The Broadway store, Impressions of Saratoga, already has Justify T- shirts in stock and will unveil a new one at Thursday’s rally. The business also has hats, pins, glasses and shot glasses on order.
Shimkus said it’s almost impossible to gauge the economic benefit of a Triple Crown champion’s participation in the Travers. In 2015,
more than 15,000 people turned out to see American Pharoah during a free, pre-race workout, followed by a sell-out crowd on Travers Stakes Day.
Even more important, Saratoga gained worldwide exposure on social media.
“The economic impact is that more people pay attention to horse racing when there’s a Triple Crown winner,” Shimkus said.
Only 13 horses, including Justify, have captured the coveted Triple Crown. Of the 12 prior winners, only three also raced in the Travers and only one -- Whirlaway in 1941 -- reached the finish line first.
American Pharoah’s defeat to Keen Ice three years ago helped solidify Saratoga’s reputation as the “Graveyard of Champions.”
The 40- day Saratoga Race Course meet begins on Friday, July 20 and ends Labor Day Monday, Sept. 3.
For more information about the Thursday rally go to: saratoga.org.