Justify puts in solid time in workout before Belmont
Justify would appear to be headed into the Belmont Stakes on Saturday primed to run a big race as he attempts to become the 13th Triple Crown winner and second in the last four years.
The Kentucky Derby/Preakness Stakes winner worked 5 furlongs in 1 minute, 1.40 seconds Monday morning at Churchill Downs in Louisville in his final timed work before the Belmont. The third leg of the Triple Crown series will be run Saturday at 6:37 p.m. ET at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
With jockey Martin Garcia, who works many of trainer Bob Baffert’s horses aboard and with Baffert in attendance, Justify gallped out 6 furlongs in 1:13.3 and 7 furlongs in 1:27.1.
“He went smooth,” Baffert told the Daily Racing Form. “He relaxed nice. Martin (Garcia) was happy with him, said he didn’t take a deep breath. Everything’s good.”
It was the second workout within the past seven days for Justify. He had a strong half-mile work in 46.4 seconds on May 29, also at Churchill Downs.
Monday’s workout was more of a maintenance work, which is typical of a final work before a big race.
The workout pattern Justify has had since the Preakness Stakes is the same one Baffert used with American Pharoah in 2015 when that horse won the Triple Crown and ended a 37-year Triple Crown drought.
The two workouts within the last week are the first timed ones Justify had since before the Kentucky Derby on May 5.
Justify will ship to Belmont Park on Wednesday, which is also the same pattern Baffert used with American Pharoah.
“If it’s (the Triple Crown) meant to be, it’s going to happen,” Baffert said. “Right now, all we can do is prepare.”
Baffert also told the Daily Racing Form after the workout that like American Pharoah did when he was going for the Triple Crown and after he won the Triple Crown, that Justify “has become a rock star like Pharoah, so let’s see if he can do it.”
Post positions for the Belmont will be drawn Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. ET at Citi Field, the home of the Major League Baseball team New York Mets. Nine horses are expected to challenge Justify, including Preakness runnerup Bravazo and Preakness third-place finisher Tenfold.
Baffert will throw out the first pitch before Tuesday night’s Baltimore Orioles-Mets game at Citi Field.