90,000 fans at Belmont Park receive a Justify'd performance

A crowd of 90,000 enthusiastic racing fans filed into Belmont on a beautiful, warm sunny day, waiting for justification. They got what they came for in the form of the horse named Justify.

In fewer than four full months, Justify went from an un-raced thoroughbred to a Triple Crown winner, with the 3-year-old by Scat Daddy having not made his debut until Feb. 18.

For the second time in four years, Belmont Park crowned a title holder when Justify, making his third start in five weeks, won the 150th running of the Belmont Stakes and became the 13th member of thoroughbred racing’s exclusive club. The victory fell exactly on the 45th anniversary Secretariat’s monumental 31-length score to become the ninth Triple Crown winner.

Trained by Bob Baffert, who also conditioned American Pharoah to sweep the series in 2015, Justify passed the "Test of a Champion" and joined Seattle Slew as the only two unbeaten Triple Crown winners. Baffert becomes only the second trainer in history, joining “Sunny” Jim Fitzsimmons (Gallant Fox/1930, Omaha/1935) to win two Triple Crowns.

Unlike the first two races in the series, which both were inundated by rain bringing about sloppy track conditions, the third leg was contested over a fast track with sunny skies prevailing throughout.

The Preakness proved Justify’s Kentucky Derby win was no fluke, but the colt still had to prove to those who doubted, that he could replicate a winning performance over ideal racing conditions. He did it with aplomb.

Following his second Triple Crown, Baffert had these words to offer about Justify in comparison to American Pharoah.

“He was showing me the same signs, he showed me that brilliance. Superior horse. I mean, he could have won every race on the undercard today. He’s just that kind of horse”.

Baffert added: "It’s just amazing. It never gets old. American Pharoah, he’ll always be my first love. Mike Smith, he deserves something like this”.

Baffert made three Triple Crown attempts before finally achieving racing's most elusive feat with American Pharoah. Silver Charm won the first two legs in 1997, as did Real Quiet in 1998, and War Emblem in 2002, before falling short in the third jewel.

The jockey, Smith, said, “This horse ran a tremendous race. He’s so gifted. He’s sent from heaven. He’s just amazing."